Pas de Deux
by onceuponatime2011
Summary: AU Rucas and Joshaya fic. Riley is an aspiring dancer whose sole focus is getting into Juilliard after high school. What happens when she meets the newest member of JQA's football team? I don't want to give much away, so I'm sorry for the short summary. No flames for the pairing please.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: Here is the first little snippet of my newest fic. I know it's short, but I'm really excited to see where this one goes and wanted to go ahead and tease it a little. It's an AU, although I have and will continue to incorporate many lines and concepts from GMW. In this universe, Josh and Riley are siblings and only a year apart. Lucas is a new transfer student. Josh and Lucas are both seniors while Maya, Riley, and Farkle are juniors. It's totally cool if you aren't familiar with dance or dance terminology at all. I explain all of the important ones and the others are just to aid in the story. I have roughly written the first few chapters out already, but I'm going to try to get ahead before posting them as I want to maintain continuity and not write myself into a corner. I'm still actively working on "Go" and am working on my series of fluffy one shots. This idea just came to me and I had to feed my muse._**

* * *

 _Pas de Deux: a dance for two. In it's traditional form, it begins with an entree and adagio, followed by solo variations for each dance, and a coda._

Prologue:

 _Entree (entrance)-_

Riley Matthews enjoyed the quiet studio. One of her classes had just ended, but she reserved the studio for an extra hour so she could work on some of the choreography she just learned. She loved dance. Dance had been apart of her life for the last 13 years. Her mother enrolled her in her first class when she was just three years old. Riley's first memory was of her first dance recital. She, along with 20 other three year olds, danced to an old Shirley Temple song. She remembered dancing around the stage with the other three year olds and loving the rush she felt on stage. She loved the attention, sure, what three year old wouldn't, but what really made her fall in love with dance was the feeling that she got as she moved around to the music. Ever since then, dance seemed to take over her life. She begged her mom to enroll her in as many classes as possible and as many different types of dance as possible. Now, at the age of 16, she had been exposed to numerous types of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, modern, pointe. She also learned several other forms of dance: tango, salsa, swing, waltz...just to name a few. If push came to shove, and she had to pick a favorite form, she would admit that she had a soft spot for pointe. Something about the grace involved in the movements always spoke to her. For her 12th birthday, her parents took her to see her first professional ballet: _Sleeping Beauty_. She was enthralled by the way that the dancers just seemed to glide across the stage, their movements seamless. She knew at that moment that she wanted to be on that stage one day.

She stretched her arms out in front of her and behind her head before she walked over to the stereo. She skipped to the right track, then walked to the middle of the dance floor. She gazed at herself in the mirror to check her opening pose before she closed her eyes. Her head swayed to the beat of the song before she started the dance. As she moved, she repeated her movements she executed in her head: _'Ronde de Jambe. Arabesque. Pirouette.'_ When she missed the music cue for her entrechat, she stopped her movements, opened her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. She was determined to get this routine straightened out. Once she got this down, then she could finally begin working on her selection of "Swan Lake", the 'danse des petits cygnes'.

She walked back over to the stereo and restarted the track. She walked back over to the middle of the dance floor, checked her positioning in the mirror once more, and closed her eyes as the music began to play. She started the routine again, more focused this time, more determined not to miss the cue again. As the entrechat approached, she furrowed her brows as she focused on every little movement. She managed to execute the routine perfectly this time. When the music ended, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled.


	2. Chapter One

_**A/N: Thank you all for the positive feedback on the prologue! I know it was short, so I wanted to get this out to you all as soon as possible. We are still in the entree stage of the story. You'll know when the next stage begins (I'll put it at the beginning of the first chapter of that stage). I hope that makes sense. Not to toot my own horn, but I really like the idea of structuring this story around how a pas de deux is structured. I hope you guys do as well. :)**_

 _ **Floridianfan, me too! Danced for 13 years and Tchaikovsky is a genius! I'm feeling the pressure now, knowing there is a fellow former dancer reading. haha**_

 _ **Shapeshifter1947, I know I promised those one-shots! This idea just came to me and I had to start running with it. I'm hoping to get back to working on it after I update "Go" again. :)**_

* * *

Chapter One

Joshua Matthews was exhausted. He had just finished up four hours of grueling football tryouts. Though he was so tired he couldn't think, he loved this time of year. He looked around the room. Some of the guys seemed pretty confident about making the team, while some of the others seemed anxious as they all waited for the coaching staff to post this year's roster. Josh wasn't worried; he knew he would be on the team. He was one of the captains after all, but still, he was excited for the other guys.

He was even more excited for the party at his parents' house that night. It was a yearly tradition. All of the players and all of the cheerleaders would come over and they would celebrate making their respective teams. Some of the guys would bring their girlfriends, as would the cheerleaders bring their boyfriends, if they had them. Josh grinned. He knew his girlfriend, Maya Hart, would be there. She was always at his house though. It was one of the best things about dating his sister's best friend. His parents didn't care if she spent the night, because it was something she had done way before they ever dated. Some nights she would sneak across the hall to cuddle with him for a few hours. She would then sneak back into his sister's room before anyone woke up. She was sheer perfection to him. He couldn't believe that it took him as long as it did to see her for the woman she was instead of just seeing her as his little sister's best friend. He smiled as he opened his locker. He glanced at the guy next to him. "Hey man," he greeted. Awesome job out there."

"Thanks man," the guy replied as he opened his locker. "Just hope it was good enough."

"I'm sure. You were quarterback at your old school, right?" Josh grabbed his gym bag.

The guy nodded as he pulled his sneakers out. "Yeah. Two years in a row." He turned to sit on the bench in front of the lockers.

Josh stuffed his dirty clothes into the bag. "I'm sure you got this. They're a lot more serious about their football in Texas than they are here. Listen, I'm having the team over at my house tonight to celebrate. You in?" Josh zipped the bag up and double checked to make sure he had everything he needed from his locker before he closed it.

The guy nodded as he tied his shoes. "Sure. As long as I make the team."

Josh chuckled. "Come on, Lucas. We both know you'll be starting quarterback...even if you are a transfer student." Both guys looked up as they saw the coaching staff walk through the locker room and tacked the roster on the bulletin board. "Time to make it official," he told Lucas as the guys grabbed their stuff and made their way to the board.

* * *

Lucas Friar couldn't help but smile on his way to Josh's house. At first, he was livid that his parents made him move from Texas to New York his senior year of high school. Who does that?! He had to admit now that he was adjusting quickly to the change. Playing football for most of his life helped him get to know people pretty easily. So far, he liked the guys on the team at John Quincey Adams High School. They definitely welcomed him with open arms. As much as Lucas didn't want to admit it, he liked the city...well, what he had seen of it so far.

Deep down, he knew he needed a change in his life. He didn't like who he became in Texas. Sure, he was captain and quarterback of his high school team there, but his constant fighting off the field always seemed to cause friction with his family. The school didn't care, and pretty much let him get away with it because he was the starting quarterback. Lucas knew they didn't want to lose their chance at the state title. He never instigated the fights, but he wasn't about to ignore it when other people got picked on or pushed around.

He instantly clicked with Josh Matthews when Lucas showed up at football camp a week before. Everyone who wanted to try out for the team had to show up for every practice for a week while the coaches evaluated them. It was grueling, but Lucas loved the workout and camaraderie with the other guys. Of course, some of them were crude and typical teenage males, but despite all of the testosterone, they all got along well. Most of them went out after practice each day to grab some food or get in an extra workout.

Lucas turned the corner. He looked down at his phone to check the address that Josh texted him. When Lucas found the place, he stopped and stood in front of it for a few minutes. _'Damn,'_ he thought. The brownstone was simple, but gorgeous at the same time. It seemed like a great part of town...if he only knew where he was. He still couldn't get used to the different areas of Manhattan: the village, the Upper East Side, the lower West Side, the financial district. His head spun simply thinking about it. It was all too confusing. Why wasn't it all just called Manhattan? He walked up to the door, pulled out his phone to double check the apartment number, then hit the doorbell for the apartment. After a moment, he heard the door unlock.

* * *

Riley had her headphones on and gym bag slung over her shoulder as she walked home from dance practice. Her long brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun on the top of her head. Her black leggings were cropped at her calves and she wore an oversized, off-the-shoulder, ripped purple t-shirt over her black leotard. She softly counted to herself as she counted out the beats in her head to "Swan Lake". Her first recital of the year was only a few months away, and even more importantly, she had to start choreographing something for her tryout for next year's summer program for the American Ballet Theatre. She had a lot of work to get done and somehow balance her schoolwork too. She rounded the corner and saw her apartment building. Before she even punched in the pass code to get in, she heard the music. She groaned. Was it really that time of the year again?

* * *

Riley frowned when she walked inside the apartment. There was about fifty people in her parents' living room, a couple of kegs in her parents' kitchen, and several people making out on her parents' furniture. She cringed when she saw Zach Samuels go to second base with Sarah Anderson. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to sit in that chair again. She let out a frustrated groan. "Josh," she called as she took her ear buds out of her ears. She started to walk around the living room. "Josh!" She finally spotted him in the corner talking to a few of the other football players. She stomped over to him. "What the hell is all of this?" She looked around the room again. There were red solo cups, pizza boxes, and other forms of trash scattered throughout the room.

Josh smiled. Part of him loved to make her mad. It was like a hobby to him. "It's the annual mixer for the players and cheerleaders." He put an arm around her shoulders. "Care to partake, sis?"

"Yeah right," she scoffed as she moved his arm from her shoulder. She heard a crash followed by the sound of something else breaking which instantly made her cringe. "What are mom and dad going to say about all of this?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "They're out of town with Auggie, remember? They left this morning to go to Philly for the weekend."

Riley had completely forgotten about that. She was so focused her dance classes lately that she really hadn't paid much attention to anything else. "Can you at least keep it down so I can work through my choreography in my room?"

He put his arm around her shoulders again. "Absolutely, sis. We'll be as quiet as possible. Trust me," he grinned mischievously.

Riley turned to face him before she punched him playfully in the stomach. "Yeah, right."

He faked injury from her hit, then chuckled. "You know you love me."

She rolled her eyes.

* * *

Once Riley actually made it to her room, she breathed a sigh of relief. That was way too many people to dodge just to get upstairs. She opened her bedroom door. _'Fabulous,'_ she thought when she saw a couple making out on her bed. She slammed her bag on the hardwood floor so it made a loud thud. "Out," she yelled a moment later when the couple ignored the sound. "Out! Now!" She quickly shooed them out of her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, closing her eyes. She loved her brother, but she hated these parties. "One more year," she said softly. _'Only one more year of these stupid parties where everyone ends up making out with everyone else and them playing Guess who gave me which hickey" the next morning.'_ She picked her gym bag up and placed it on her bed. She unzipped it and pulled out her pointe shoes. She sat on her bed and put them on. When she stood again, she took the oversized shirt off, so she could move easier in her leotard. She walked over to her stereo and placed her iphone in it. She stood there for a moment as she tried to find the right playlist. Once she found it, she walked over toward her dresser and placed her left hand on the edge to steady herself as she slowly warmed up, constantly checking her reflection in the mirror to make sure her form was perfect.

Once she felt that she was warmed up, she walked to the middle of her bedroom floor. She looked around the room. The space wasn't big enough to do the whole routine, but she could definitely work on her part in the "Dance of the Little Swans". She walked over to her stereo and skipped to the right track. She closed her eyes as it began to play. As she began to dance, even though her space was limited, she got swept away in the movement. "Swan Lake" was such a beautiful ballet. She was excited to do selections from that and "Romeo and Juliet" for her recitals this year. Of course, she was also going to perform a bunch of smaller numbers incorporating other forms of dance, but there was something special about performing classical pieces of ballet. She felt so graceful when she danced, a feeling that did not translate into her real life. She was convinced that she was the world's clumsiest person. Just that morning on the way to practice, she tripped three times and dumped a whole bottle of water on herself. Maybe that's why she took to dance so well when she was younger. It made her feel graceful, beautiful. She felt like she could just fly away when she moved. She loved it.

When the song ended, she just stood there for a moment, eyes still closed. She could almost feel that she had an audience. Reluctantly, she slowly opened her eyes. She gasped when she looked into her mirror and saw that someone, someone she didn't know, was standing right behind her. She spun around. "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm sorry," Lucas apologized, "I was looking for the bathroom and I thought Josh said it was the first door on the right." He couldn't help but stare at her. He had seen most of her dance and was enthralled by her grace. She seemed to glide around, even though she didn't have much room to move around in. She was obviously pretty, but that's not what made him stare at her. There was something about her that just drew him in.

"Left," Riley corrected. "It's across the hall," she smiled. When he smiled back her, she melted. She had no idea who he was, but she didn't care at the moment. She felt lost as she gazed into his emerald eyes. Yes, he was cute...ok, he was drop dead gorgeous, but that wasn't what hypnotized Riley. It was something more. She couldn't describe what it was. All she knew was that she could stare into those eyes forever. When her phone began to play the next track, she snapped out of the trance the stranger seemed to have over her. She walked over to her stereo and paused the music. She turned back around. "I don't think I've met you."

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair nervously, "I'm new." _'Why am I nervous? I'm never nervous around anyone.'_

"You aren't a freshman," she stated. There was no way someone that...athletic looking could be a freshman.

He chuckled as his nerves finally started to subside. "No, I'm a senior. I just transferred."

"Oh? From where?"

"Austin, Texas."

"Wow. In your senior year? That's lousy." She couldn't imagine moving across the country and having to completely start over in your last year of high school.

He nodded. "I thought so too...at first."

"Really? I would kill my parents if they uprooted me my senior year of high school. Leaving your friends, your life behind."

He looked down. The news of the move had hurt in the beginning, but he was also tired of all the pressure that everyone put on him to be a certain type of person. He was tired of acting like he had to be Mr. Perfect. Maybe that's one reason why the fighting started. Sure, he was just protecting people who couldn't defend themselves, but he knew deep down that violence was never the answer. Once he got past the shock of the news, Lucas realized that it was his opportunity to start over. "Yeah, that's what I thought in the beginning, but I needed a change too. Sometimes, you live somewhere your whole life and you just start to wonder what else is out there," he looked back into her eyes. God, she was easy to talk to. "I think I'm going to like it here." When he saw her blush slightly, he smiled.

Riley cleared her throat. "So, are you on the team with my brother?" She waved her hand toward the source of all the noise downstairs.

"Yeah. Wait a minute...Josh is your brother?" He hadn't mentioned that he had a sister.

She laughed. "What...you just thought I like to go around crashing parties and dance around in random girls' bedrooms?"

 _'Yeah, good job, Friar. She probably thinks you're a moron now.'_ "No," he chuckled, "I just hadn't put two and two together for some reason." _'Probably because I feel completely hypnotized by you,'_ he thought.

"So, what position do you play?"

"Quarterback."

She thought for a moment. Which position was that again? She had gone to several of Josh's games over the years and really only knew that Josh was a wide receiver. After a moment, she finally remembered that the quarterback was the guy who threw the ball to the wide receiver. "Impressive."

"Why's that?"

"Our school is pretty competitive when it comes to sports. Josh tells me all the time how many people end up trying out for the team. It's usually the same guys who play every year. You must have impressed someone out there for them to give you the starting quarterback position."

He shrugged, "Well, I am pretty good, if I say so myself."

"Oh, are you," she raised an eyebrow as she tried not to giggle. Was he flirting with her? She had no idea. She had never really engaged in many conversations with guys. Her sole focus for the last 13 years was school and dance. Guys just seemed like an unnecessary distraction.

"Definitely," he smiled. He couldn't help but flirt with this girl. She fascinated him. He wanted to learn more about her. He felt comfortable around her, which was weird because despite the fact that he always seemed to make friends easily, he hadn't really met many people that he felt that he could really have a conversation with. For some reason, he felt that he could with this girl, even though he had just met her.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they simply gazed into each others' eyes, both of their thoughts centered on the same thing: each other. They were so caught up in their own thoughts of the other that they didn't notice a petite blonde climb into Riley's window. "I swear, Riley, your brother is the most..." she stopped talking when she noticed the other person in the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

Riley shook her head as she reluctantly broke eye contact with the handsome stranger. How much time had even passed? Did he think she was weird for practically drooling on him? God, she was such a loser. She looked at her best friend. "No. Maya, this is," she turned back to him and laughed softly, "I'm sorry. What's your name?"

He laughed with her. A five minute conversation with a stranger and they hadn't even bothered to ask each other the most obvious question. "Lucas. Lucas Friar."

"Lucas," Riley said. Yeah, Lucas was a good name...it fit him somehow. Granted, she thought any name would be perfect for him...because he seemed...perfect.

"I better go," Lucas told the girls reluctantly. He actually did have to go to the bathroom and he knew Josh was waiting for him to come back downstairs so he could introduce him to the rest of crowd downstairs. "It was nice to meet you, Maya," he nodded toward the blonde. He looked back at Riley. "It was nice talking to you...Riley, was it?"

She nodded.

"I'll see you around, Riley Matthews." He gave her one last smile before he left her room, closing the door behind him.

Maya looked at the closed door and back at her best friend. She gave out a little squeal as she jumped on the bed. "Oh my God, who was that?!"

"Lucas. Lucas Friar," Riley told her.

"So _that's_ Lucas? Josh has told me about him." _'But not how gorgeous he was,'_ Maya mused. She glanced at her best friend. She didn't even have to ask Riley what she thought. It was written all over her face.

Riley raised an eyebrow at her. "What has he told you? He never mentioned any new guys trying out this year." She had to know more about this guy. She had to learn as much as she could. She had never felt an instant connection with someone like that. It made her nervous, but excited at the same time.

Maya grinned. She had never seen her friend act like this over anyone. It could only mean one thing. "Does Riley Matthews finally have her first crush at the tender age of sweet 16?"

Riley rolled her eyes. Crush? Was it a crush? Riley wasn't sure. She was fascinated by him, sure, but a crush? "Don't be so immature, Maya. I can't ask questions about a guy who wanders into my bedroom?"

Maya put her hands on her hips. "I'm still trying to figure out why you let him leave your bedroom."


	3. Chapter Two

**_A/N: Sorry that this part isn't long or as descriptive as the first two parts of the story. I've been in a funk all day because of GMYearbook, and part of me feels that this chapter seems fine without the heavy descriptions that were needed in the first two parts to introduce you guys to the story. Anyway...I'll do better. I just really wanted to post this and, hopefully, get my Rucas groove back from the feedback from you guys. :)_**

* * *

Chapter Two

Before anyone knew it, school had started again. The halls of John Quincy Adams High School filled with hundreds of classmen. Lucas would never admit it, but he felt a little intimidated by the crowd of students outside, and presumably inside, the school. He had no idea where any of his classes were or even where the office was to get his schedule. He looked around him. He didn't recognize any of these people. Just as he was about to ask someone for help, he spotted Josh talking to someone at the top of the stairs that led to the entrance to the school. He jogged over to them.

"Hey," he greeted breathlessly.

"Hey Friar," Josh said. He turned to the guy he was talking to. "Lucas Friar, this is Farkle Minkus."

Lucas frowned. He wasn't sure if this was some sort of joke or initiation or what. Farkle? Lucas decided to play along just in case it was this poor guy's name. "Your name is Farkle Minkus?"

The younger guy smiled. He had heard that reaction his whole life. "Don't wear it out."

Lucas chucked, "I'm not sure how you could." He stuck his hand out to shake Farkle's hand.

"Lucas is our new quarterback," Josh told Farkle. "He's a transfer from Texas."

"So, why New York, Lucas?"

Lucas shrugged, "My dad got transferred here." He looked around him. "How big is this school?"

"Pretty big," Josh told him.

"Senior class alone is like 800 students," Farkle added.

"Damn," Lucas definitely felt overwhelmed. His old school had 800 students total. "Can you guys point me in the direction of the office?"

Josh laughed, "Sure man. I have to go visit my favorite secretary anyway."

Farkle rolled his eyes. "You only like her because she gives you passes to skip class all the time."

Josh looked offended, "Hey, I'll have you know that Mrs. Greene is a wonderful lady...if I were much, much older, I would totally be into her."

* * *

"Ok," Josh began as they left the office, "Things you need to know about school. The first thing is that you're already popular. Comes with the territory of being on the football team. So, don't get weirded out when random people start drooling." Josh looked over to a group of girls who all were openly gaping at the two guys. "Case in point."

Lucas chucked and waved at the group of girls, who giggled. He turned back to face Josh. "Yeah, it was the same at my old school. What else?"

"Well, it's like a high school movie around here; you have your different social groups. Rarely do they mingle, but me, I don't care about that. I'm friends with everyone...like Farkle."

Lucas was glad to hear it. He wasn't one for social cliques. Certainly people tended to flock to others with the same interests, but why only hang out with those people? Why not expand your horizons and get to know other people? "Yeah, I got along with most of the people at my old school. What set does Farkle belong to?"

"The brains, obviously. He's a junior, but he could be in college if he wanted to be. He's known us forever and wanted to keep going to school with us. He's one of Riley and Maya's best friends. We've all known each other since pre-school."

Lucas nodded. "So, jocks and brains."

"Then the artsy people...Riley and Maya belong in that sect, although Riley is also considered a brain. Dancing is her life though and Maya is into painting, and you'd never be able to separate those two." They rounded a corner. "Anyway, then you have your gothic kids, and various mixtures of all the above. Kind of like a melting pot, but most stick to their own kind."

"So like a John Hughes movie for the modern, politically correct high school."

Josh laughed, "Exactly." They reached a row of lockers. "Your locker is here. They love to do it alphabetically around here. I've been next to my sister for the last three years. Kind of killed my game, you know?"

Lucas frowned. "I thought you were dating Maya."

"I am, but we've only been together for like four months, so before that, it was always awkward trying to talk to the females with my sister standing next to me." He shrugged, "Guess I don't have to worry about that now. Anyway, my locker is down the next hall. Maya's should be around here though, so at least that will be one person you know in case you get turned around in between classes."

Lucas laughed, "That's good to know. Once I figure out where everything is, I should be ok."

Josh looked at his schedule. "Well, your home room is right around this corner and we have like three classes and lunch together, so that's awesome."

"Thank God. Where to sit at lunch is the worst for new people."

* * *

"I feel like Mr. Harris is already out for me this year," Maya groaned as she and Riley left English class. "I mean, who assigns homework on the first day?"

"He assigned it to everyone," Riley laughed. "At least this day is half way over with, right?"

"Yeah. Now we get my favorite period: lunch."

Riley glanced and her schedule. "Then I have Chemistry and History with...oh no," she groaned.

"What is it?" Maya pulled out her schedule. "I have history last period too! Mine is with," she looked up and over at her best friend.

"Oh no," both girls groaned.

"Again," Maya screeched. "How is it possible to have history class with your dad every year?"

Riley couldn't believe it. She thought for sure that he would lay off this year. "It's like he does it on purpose or something." The pair reached Riley's locker. She undid her combination and slid her books in.

Maya leaned against the lockers. "At least we know his teaching style. And he does let us talk in there."

"True," she shut her locker. "He just always meddles in our personal lives." The girls both headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

"Our personal lives? Riles, he meddles in Farkle's and my lives, not your's. You'd actually have to have a life for him to meddle in it."

Riley nudged her friend. "Shut up."

* * *

"Have you seen your brother around here," Maya asked as they began to go through the lunch line.

"Not yet," Riley told her as she grabbed a salad. "Maybe we are just missing each other at the lockers or something today. Have you?"

Maya grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water. "For two seconds this morning. He was showing the new guy around."

"He has a name, Maya."

"And I'm sure you are well aware of it," Maya smile wickedly.

"Just because I talked to the guy doesn't mean I have a thing for him." Riley grabbed a bottle of water.

"Riley, please. You aren't talking to your father. It's me. Maya. Your best friend for the last, oh, 16 years? I know you. You're pretty reserved. I've never seen you talk to a guy who wasn't related to you, Farkle, or that you dance with. And you had this guy in your bedroom?"

She rolled her eyes. "He was looking for the bathroom." The girls walked into the crowded lunch room. "I was just being nice."

Maya's eyes roamed around the cafeteria. "Speaking of nice, there's your brother...oh...and look who is with him?" She began to walk toward the table.

"Maya," Riley warned.

"Come on," Maya called over her shoulder. "I'll behave."

"Doubtful," Riley mumbled as she began to walk behind her best friend.

"There's my sexy boyfriend," Maya called out when she reached the crowded table full of jocks and cheerleaders. She reached up and gave Josh a long kiss.

Josh wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "Hey gorgeous," he greeted when they pulled apart.

Riley looked away. Although she was perfectly ok with them dating, it didn't mean that she enjoyed watching them swap spit. It really grossed her out. He _was_ her brother after all. "Hey Josh," she greeted as she waved awkwardly at him.

Josh smiled. "Riles! Where have you been today? I haven't seen you at the lockers once."

She nodded. "Weird, right?" She looked at the crowded table. "Can we sit with you?"

"Absolutely," Josh told her before scooping Maya up in his arms and sitting down, Maya sitting on top of him.

"Here," Lucas told Riley as he slid over to make room for her next to him.

"Thanks," she said as she sat down. She looked up at her brother and best friend who were making out in front of the whole room. She rolled her eyes and looked over at Lucas as she tried to ignore the display in front of her. "How was your first day?"

He shrugged, "So far, so good. I haven't gotten completely lost yet. I ended up with three classes with Josh, so that helps."

"That's great," she smiled before turning to her lunch. She picked up her fork and began to pick at her salad. She was just about to take a bite when she felt someone crouch down next to her.

"How ya doing," Cory Matthews, Riley and Josh's father, greeted.

Josh and Maya stopped kissing and turned to face him. "Hey dad," Josh said sheepishly.

"Mr. Matthews," Maya greeted.

"Miss Hart, I noticed on my roster that I will be seeing you this afternoon. Three years in a row isn't it," his eyes twinkled. He loved having "his kids" year after year in school.

"Yeah, almost like someone planned it or something," Maya retorted as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're just lucky," he chuckled. He faced his daughter. "I'll be seeing you too, won't I sweetie?"

"Why don't you ever just tell me?"

"Because it would ruin the surprise," he smiled. He looked at the guy next to his daughter. He didn't recognize him. "Who is this?"

Josh cleared his throat. "Dad, this is Lucas Friar. I told you about him. He's the new quarterback."

A lightbulb went off in Cory's mind. "Ah yes, transferred from Texas, right?"

"Yes sir," he said.

"Dad," Riley warned, "This is completely innocent."

Cory moved to the other side of Riley so he was in between the brunette and Lucas. "Honey, fathers don't see anything as innocent. We see it as," he searched his brain for the right word, "What's the opposite of innocent?"

Maya raised her hand, "Right here," she beamed.

Riley put her fork down. "Please, don't embarrass me," she begged.

Cory feigned innocence. "I'm just going to talk to Mr. Friar about geography."

Riley looked over at her brother for some help. He was too busy laughing to help. She glanced at Maya who seemed to be enjoying this exchange way too much as well.

Cory placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder. "You know, I've been to a lot of places. Never been to Texas though. What part of Texas is closest to Mexico?"

"That would be El Paso, sir," Lucas was nervous. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to make a good impression on Mr. Matthews.

Cory beamed. "Great! Why don't we go right now?!"

"Dad," Josh finally cut in. "We really need to finish eating so we can go to the rest of our classes."

"Yeah Mr. Matthews, you don't want us to be starving in your class this afternoon, do you? My stomach growls pretty loudly, as you well know," Maya added.

Cory thought about it for a moment. "Fine, but I'm keeping my eye on you four."

"Don't you always," Maya asked him.

* * *

Riley sat at the front of the classroom, Maya next to her. Farkle walked in and sat down behind Riley, his seat since kindergarten. "At least it's the last class of the day," Riley told them.

"Which means it will go by even slower," Maya told her. She looked at the clock. The next hour was going to crawl by.

Riley watched the other students enter the room. She couldn't help but smile when she saw a certain blonde haired, green eyed jock walk in. He smiled at the group as he sat down behind Maya. Riley turned to face him, "Hey."

He smiled at her. "Hi."

Cory sprinted from the front of the room and stood in between their line of vision of one another. "Hi," he mimicked. He glared at him for a moment.

Riley ran a hand through her hair before turning around and facing the front of the classroom. This was going to be a long school year.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Riley was exhausted when she came home that evening. She couldn't believe how quickly she forgot how taxing it was to juggle school and dance, and this was just the first day, the easiest day of the school year. It was dark by the time she got home, and she briefly contemplated just going to bed, but she had homework that she knew she had to get done. She stepped over the threshold of her apartment and smiled when she saw her mom at the dining room table, helping her younger brother with his homework. "I'm home," she called as she walked through the living room.

"Hey hun," her mother, Topanga, greeted while she still looked at her youngest child's homework. "How was your first day?"

Riley dropped her gym bag, book bag, and purse down on the couch, before she continued to walk toward the kitchen. She sat down across from her mom and leaned forward, placing her elbow on the table and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She eyed her mother for a moment. Was she in on it? Did she know? If she did, why didn't she warn her? "Did you know _he_ was going to be my history teacher again?"

Topanga sighed as she stopped what she was doing and faced her only daughter. "I told him not to do it, if it helps." Cory had always been fiercely protective over Riley. She was his only daughter and out of his three children, she was the most like him. Topanga tried her best to rein her husband in, but sometimes he would slip through and do something to embarrass one of his children, most often it was Riley.

"He's so overprotective, mom. He's not like that with Josh," she looked over at her younger brother, "or Auggie."

"Honey, you need to understand that you're his little girl. He's always going to be protective over you."

"There's a difference in being protective and going out his way to embarrass me in front of everyone." Frustrated, she stood up and walked over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a bowl of salad that her mother had prepared for dinner earlier in the evening. "This looks great."

Topanga smiled at her. "How was class tonight?"

Riley pulled out a bowl from the cabinet. "It was ok, I guess. Miranda missed a step and stomped on my foot in the middle of our "Swan Lake" practice." It hurt, and still tingled a little bit, but Riley couldn't fault Miranda for it. It was a tough dance to synchronize with three other girls.

Topanga looked down at her daughter's feet. "Does it hurt?"

Riley shrugged. "A little. I'm going to ice it after I eat this," she put the remaining salad back in the fridge and walked back to the table and sat down. She looked at her little brother. "How was your first day, Auggie?"

"It was ok," the nine year old told his sister. "I can't believe Mrs. Spence gave me homework on the first day."

"Yeah," Riley sighed, "That won't go away, I'm afraid. I have a ton to get done tonight myself." She took a bite of her food.

The three fell into a comfortable silence as Riley ate and Topanga and Auggie continued to work on Auggie's homework. The silence was soon broken by the front door opening and closing. Topanga and Auggie looked up to see who it was. Riley didn't bother to turn around. She knew it had to either be her father or brother. No big deal. All she wanted to do was to finish her food, grab an ice pack, and go to her room to get her homework done so she could go to sleep. Dance and school. School and dance. She didn't have time for anything else.

"Hey family," Josh greeted as he threw his book bag and football gear on the floor. "The star of the football team is finally home."

"Hey sweetie," Topanga greeted. "How was practice?"

"Great," he smiled as he walked into the living room. "I feel like we are already ready for the first game." He looked behind him. "Oh, this is Lucas by the way. He's the new quarterback for the team."

Riley almost choked on her food. She coughed several times and reached for her bottled water to help her clear her throat. She wasn't sure how she was going to face him after the way her father embarrassed her in front of him today.

Topanga looked down at her daughter. "Are you ok?" When Riley nodded, Topanga looked back up at the two teenage boys. "That sounds great, Josh. Lucas, it's nice to meet you. Are you guys hungry?"

Riley stood up and walked to the sink to put her bowl in. She turned around to face the boys. "Hi," she greeted casually. She had to play it cool. She had to pretend that her father embarrassing her earlier today didn't bother her. She had to pretend that she didn't care what he thought about that.

"Hey," Lucas said softly to her.

"Hi," Riley repeated. When she realized that she greeted him twice, she inwardly cringed. _Smooth, Matthews. Real Smooth._

Auggie looked back and forth between the two teenagers. "Oh brother," he shook his head. He hoped that once he got into high school he wouldn't act all dopey around girls.

Topanga tried not to laugh. This was adorable. She looked at her daughter and smirked. Riley had a crush. That much was clear. She looked over at Lucas. He had the same dopey expression on his face that Riley had.

Riley glared at her younger brother before she grabbed a dish towel from the drawer next to the sink. She walked over to the freezer and grabbed an ice pack.

Josh was completely oblivious to the exchange between the two as he texted on his phone. After he was done, he slid his phone into his pocket and walked to the fridge. Riley had to duck under his arm to get out of his way. "I'm starving. Aren't you, Lucas?"

"We just ate," Lucas chuckled as he stood awkwardly in the living room.

Josh shrugged as he pulled out some things to make a sandwich. "Yeah, but we're in training."

"He tends to eat everything in sight during football season," Riley told Lucas as she sat down on the couch. She slid her flip flops off and propped her foot up on the coffee table. She wrapped the ice pack around the towel before she leaned forward to place the ice pack on her foot.

Lucas sat on the couch next to her, concern evident on his face. "Did you get hurt?"

"No," she chuckled as she tried to balance the cold compress on the top of her foot, "one of the girls stomped on my foot. It's just sore. I don't want it to swell up though, so it's just a precaution mostly."

"Where's dad at," Josh asked his mother.

"He said something about getting a shovel," Auggie told him.

Josh was confused. That couldn't be right. They live in an apartment in New York. "Why would he need to get a shovel?"

Auggie shrugged. "He was mumbling something about Riley."

Riley turned her head to look at her brother. "What?!"

"Not for you," Auggie clarified, "Something about a boy and you."

"Mom," Riley squeaked out. She couldn't turn to look at Lucas. She suddenly wished the floor would open up and devour her. Her thoughts wandered over to the guy who sat next to her. Why did she care so much about what he thought? She barely knew the guy. They had one real conversation and then a few short exchanges. It was nothing. Another thought came to her mind: if it was nothing, why did her heart flutter when their eyes met?

Topanga shrugged. "You know your father."

Riley blinked a few times to concentrate on what her mother said. Riley's confusion turned to anger. She couldn't believe her mother wasn't upset about this. It was clear that her father was out to ruin what little bit of a life she actually had, or maybe hoped to have. "This is exactly what I'm talking about though. He can't just-"

The door opened as the subject of their conversation walked in, shovel in hand. Cory looked at the two teenagers sitting on the couch. "You," he growled out to Lucas.

"Me," Lucas mimicked, unfazed by the shovel in his hand. Sure, he was a father being overly protective of his daughter, but Lucas could also tell just by the one class he had with the guy that Mr. Matthews liked him. He seemed like a good man. Surely he wouldn't hit him over the head with a shovel for having a conversation with his daughter.

"What are you doing here?" Cory gripped the shovel. It was too soon for boys, way too soon. Sure, Riley was 16, but Cory wasn't ready. Lucas seemed like a nice enough guy, different than what his permanent record indicated, but he wasn't good enough for his daughter. No one would be.

"He came over to study," Josh told him as he walked back into the living room, a plate of sandwiches in his hand. He turned to Lucas. "Ready to get started, man?"

* * *

"So," Maya leaned against Josh's locker as she spoke to Riley, "Have you talked to him anymore?"

"No," Riley replied as she looked around for her calculus book. "I've been trying to focus on homework and dance. I don't really have the time for anything else." She smiled when she finally found the book. "And besides, we have had approximately one conversation and a few awkward greetings. It's nothing." She grabbed her notebook and shut her locker.

Maya raised an eyebrow at her friend. Riley could fool everyone else in the world, but she could never fool her. She could read Riley like a book, always have, and always will. "Yeah, but you've never been remotely interested in anyone before."

Riley hugged her books to her chest as she thought about what she said. "Maya, it doesn't matter. I don't really have time for guys right now and besides, he probably doesn't even think of me like that. Just drop it."

"Drop what," Josh asked as he and the topic of Maya and Riley's conversation walked up to the row of lockers. Once he reached his locker, Josh smiled at his girlfriend. "Hey gorgeous."

"Hey yourself, handsome," she smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "What's that for?"

"Because I want to," he told her lovingly. "And because you're blocking me from my locker."

"Oops," she giggled as she slid over in front of Riley's locker. She turned to face Lucas. "Hey cowboy."

He sighed, "Hey Maya." His eyes ticked over to Riley. They hadn't really spoken to one another in a few weeks. Both of them had been busy with school work and their respective extracurricular activities. Still though, he couldn't help but feel like she might be avoiding him. "Riley," he nodded.

"Hey Lucas," she replied. She shifted nervously on her feet. Why did her heart flutter every time she laid eyes on him?

"Maya, why do you call him those names," Josh asked as he rummaged through his locker for his anatomy book. He threw his books from one side of the locker to the other until he found it.

She shrugged, "It's fun. He doesn't mind." She looked over at Lucas. "Do you mind?"

Lucas shrugged at her, "I've been called worse."

Josh chuckled. "Fair enough." He closed his locker and turned to the girls. "First game is tonight. You guys coming?"

"Absolutely," Maya smiled.

"What time does it start? I have dance class tonight."

"You have dance every night," Josh told his younger sister as he put an arm around her shoulder. "This is the last first game I will have at JQA...you have to come watch your favorite brother play. Game starts at 8."

Riley detached herself from him. Josh could sweet talk anyone into doing anything, but those tactics didn't work on Riley. She knew him too well to fall for any of it. "I don't have a favorite brother."

"Come on Riles," Maya nudged her. "You know you want to go," her eyes cut to Lucas briefly before she looked back at Riley.

"You should come, Riley," Lucas added, oblivious to Maya's gesture. "It's my first game. You'll get to see how good I am in person."

"You think you're _that_ good," she raised an eyebrow at him.

"There's only one way for you to find out," he grinned.

She sighed. "Fine. I'll come. My class ends at 8:30. The stadium is about five blocks away. I'll be there around 9. That's the best I can do." She shouldn't go. She had class the entire day on Saturday too. She needed to get some sleep, but she figured a few hours watching a football game wouldn't kill her.

"Yay," Josh, Maya, and Lucas cheered.

"You guys are ridiculous," she laughed. The bell rang.

* * *

It took Riley an extra thirty minutes to find Maya in the stands. When she finally reached her, she was exhausted. She could fall asleep right then and there despite the cheering crowd and cheesy 90s music that played while the cheerleaders danced in the middle of the field. She glanced at the scoreboard. It was tied 14-14 at the half. "What'd I miss?"

"Your boy is awesome," Maya told her as she ate some popcorn. She tried to hand the bag to Riley who shook her head. Maya stuck her hand in it and pulled out a few pieces. "He's got an arm on him for sure. He and Josh make a great team. Our defense kinda sucks, but it's been a great game. Why are you so late?" She popped the popcorn in her mouth.

"I had to stay a little longer. I wanted to work on "Swan Lake" a little more. My technique has been off lately and it's just bothering me." It was more than bothering her. She was actively frustrated about it. She could barely pull off a double pirouette in one of her other routines, something she mastered four years ago. Her timing was also off, she would miss some moves, and one time she missed her entrance queue entirely. She was distracted. She knew she was. She also knew what, or who, was the source of it. She tried to avoid him to see if things would get better. They hadn't. If anything, it made things worse for her.

"Riley, you can take a night off, you know. Dance isn't everything. It shouldn't be your whole life." Maya was worried about her friend. Riley had always been obsessed with dance, but she seemed more tired and irritable lately. Maya knew it had to be all the classes Riley took, the amount of extra time she put at the studio, and the stress she put herself under trying to choreograph her audition for the summer program she wanted to get into next year.

"I'm so close, Maya. I've been working for this for 13 years. If I just can get into the summer intensive at ABT, then I'll be able to finesse my technique. I might actually be ready for when I try out for Juilliard next year." She knew Maya was bored by the conversation. Riley knew she had talked about ABT and Juilliard for the past three years, but she couldn't help it. That was what Riley wanted. Her life would be set if she could just get in to that school.

Maya looked over at her friend. "You have your whole life planned out, don't you?"

Riley nodded as she watched the cheerleaders walk off the field. "You know me. It's been Juilliard since day one."

Maya ate another piece of popcorn. "Riley, sometimes you can't plan out your whole life. What about the variables? Things happen. You might change your mind."

Riley frowned. "What could possibly change my mind? I'm doing what I want to do. This is what I want. Nothing is going to deter me."

"I'm just saying...you need to enjoy life a little. Enjoy high school a little. I don't want you to regret that one day."

"I won't."

* * *

When the second half began, and John Quincy Adams' offense took the field, she couldn't help but stare at Lucas. He looked incredible in the yellow and red uniform. She had to make sure she didn't start to drool when she saw his arm flex as he threw the football. He connected with Josh most of time, causing Josh to become constantly double teamed. The score was still tied with only a few seconds left. Lucas faked a pass to Josh before running the football himself into the end zone. The whole crowd was on their feet as they cheered their newest quarterback. Riley couldn't believe it.

"That was incredible," Maya yelled over the cheers to her best friend. "Your boy can play."

"He's not my boy," Riley corrected as her eyes remained glued on number "3"'s back as the whole team celebrated the victory.

"Not yet," Maya grinned. "I wonder where the party is tonight."

"Well, have fun, because I know it's not at my place. Mom and dad are definitely in town."

Maya grabbed Riley's hand. "You're coming to the party, Riley."

She shook her head as she tried to pull her hand away from Maya's. After a minute, she gave up as she let Maya lead her down the bleachers. "No, I'm not. I have to get up early and go to the studio."

"Riley, it wasn't a question. You're going," Maya called over her shoulder as the girls made their way to the parking lot.

"No, I'm not." Riley's mind was made up. She had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. The last thing she wanted to do was go to a loud party with a bunch of drunken jocks and cheerleaders. She had heard enough about those parties whenever Josh had them. She wasn't about to actively attend one of them.

* * *

The girls waited in the parking lot for Josh to come out. Riley wanted to just go home, but she wasn't going to leave Maya alone. Sure the school parking lot was safe enough, but in this day and age, anything could happen and Riley wasn't about to take that chance. She considered just dragging Maya home with her when they finally saw the players walking toward the parking lot. Maya ran toward Josh when she spotted him and Lucas. She leapt into his arms as Riley walked up behind her. "You were fantastic!"

Josh spun her around a few times before sitting her down. "Thanks babe," he leaned down to give her a long kiss.

Riley and Lucas stood there awkwardly as Josh and Maya groped one another. She smiled at him. Time to make some small talk. "You were great, Lucas."

"I told you I was," he grinned. "But thank you, Riley. Thank you for coming. When did you get here? I tried looking for…" he stopped. _'Play it cool, Friar,'_ he mentally smacked himself. This girl was already avoiding him, it felt like. He didn't want to completely scare her off.

"I got here at half time. I got held up at the studio with some stuff."

Josh and Maya pulled finally apart from one another. "Where's the party at," Maya asked him.

"It's at Lucas's place, actually," he looked over at his friend. "Right?"

"Super low key though, right Josh?"

Josh nodded. "Just the team and their plus ones," he looked at the girls, "well…plus two in my case."

"Plus one is fine," Riley told them. "I need to go home."

"You can't go, Riles," Josh told her. "You need to come celebrate with us. It's my senior year. We just won the first game thanks to this guy," he slapped Lucas on the back. "You have to come. You don't have a choice. It would be rude if you didn't."

"Yeah, come on Riley," Lucas told her. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

She looked around the group that stood in front of her. She couldn't believe she was actually debating this. She had to get some rest. She was going to be at the studio the entire next day. The last thing she needed to do was go to a party and be out late. She couldn't help herself though when she saw those emerald eyes look back at her expectantly. She told them, "fine," before her brain realized what she said.

* * *

Lucas's party was more low-key than Josh's, but there was still a ton of people at his place. Riley immediately lost Maya when they walked in. _'So much for sticking together,'_ she mused. She wandered around the living room, looking at all of the pictures on the walls and the fireplace mantle. She couldn't help but smile at all of the pictures of a much younger Lucas.

She looked around the room. She still couldn't find Maya, Josh, or Lucas anywhere. She debated on leaving right then and there, but decided against it until she saw at least one of them to let them know she was going home. She finally spotted an empty corner. As she made her way toward it, she accidentally bumped into two separate couples who were too absorbed in themselves to notice her. She finally sat down in the empty chair and looked around the room once more. She never felt so out of place.

Lucas scanned the crowd in his living room until his eyes finally landed on Riley. She was sitting alone in the corner in the room. He could tell that she seemed very uncomfortable. Everyone else seemed to be paired up. He made his way over to her. "Why are you in the corner?"

She looked around at everyone. "Nowhere else to stand."

He laughed. "Yeah, it's still pretty crowded around here, isn't it?"

She nodded. "I'm not used to all of this. I don't go to many parties."

"Do you want a tour of the place?"

She smiled up at him. "I'd like that." She figured that not every room would be this crowded, and she was interested in learning more about the Texan, even if he was the reason for her recent distractions at dance.

"Well," he offered his hand.

She hesitated a moment before she took it. A small jolt of electricity shot through them. Her heart fluttered. She was starting to think something was seriously wrong with her. She had to have imagined that zap. People don't normally feel a spark like that with someone. Riley stood up. "Thank you."

Lucas felt it too, that spark. His heart slammed into his chest. It almost took his breath away. He had been in a few relationships, but none of them ever made his stomach do backflips or made him feel like his heart had jumped in his chest. He could tell she was about to let go of his hand. "Hang on. I don't want to lose you." He turned to lead her into the next room. He waved his free hand around. "This is the kitchen, obviously."

Riley laughed. "Yeah, the refrigerator and stove kind of gave that way." She let go of his hand to lean on the counter.

Lucas' stomach dropped when she let go of his hand. He wasn't sure what was going on with his body. She was just a girl. He was never nervous around girls. He mentally shook his head. Even he knew she was no ordinary girl. There was something about her that drew him to her. "Do you want anything to drink?"

She shook her head. "Ah, I don't drink."

"I don't either. I meant water, soda, juice?"

"Oh. Water is good." She watched him grab two bottles of water from the fridge and hand her one. "Thanks." She opened it and took a sip. Her throat was dry…really dry.

"No problem." He decided to take her hand again as they walked into another room. Lucas stopped in front of the door at the end of the hallway. He dug in his pocket to pull out his keys. He unlocked the door before allowing Riley to walk in in front of him. "This is the study. My dad does a lot of his work in here." He closed the door behind him.

"Wow," Riley said as she looked at all the books that lined the shelves around the whole room. "What does he do?"

"Real estate lawyer. We moved because he got a new job at a big firm here."

"Oh." She looked around. Every wall was aligned with books. "Are all of these books about real estate?"

"No. This whole wall," he gestured behind her, "is literature. Mostly first and second editions. My mom collects rare books."

Riley was in complete awe. The walls were covered from floor to ceiling with books. "That's incredible."

"It's why this room stays locked up when people come over. They would kill me if something happened to them."

"I wouldn't blame them," she said as she wandered over to the wall. She looked at some of the titles. "I love literature."

"You do," he asked as he moved to sit on the arm of his dad's brown leather chair.

"Absolutely. I haven't had a lot of extra time lately to read, but I love getting lost in a book. It just takes you away to another place and time. You can put yourself into someone else's shoes, travel thousands of miles away, fight all sorts of creatures, experience life in the 19th century..." her voice trailed off as she realized she was rambling. She turned to look at him. "Sorry."

He was confused. "For what?"

"Rambling," she replied sheepishly.

He smirked. "I think it's pretty adorable."

She blushed as she turned to face the wall again. Was he flirting with her? She must be imagining things. Star athlete, built like a Greek god. Why would he ever flirt with a dorky dancer? It made no sense to her. She must be dreaming, she concluded. "Well, you would be the only one."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it." She stopped browsing the book titles when a particular one caught her eye. "Oh my God." Her eyes grew big. She couldn't believe it.

"What is it?"

She turned to look at him. "May I," she gestured to the book.

"You can look at anything you want to, Riley."

She spun back around and slowly pulled the book out. Her hands shook as she opened the first few pages. "Oh my God," she repeated. Was this real? It couldn't be.

Lucas laughed. "You said that."

She looked up at him. "Do you know what this is?! This is a first edition of The Great Gatsby!" She looked back at the book as she turned a few more of the pages.

"It is," he confirmed.

"You don't understand," she sputtered. "This is my favorite book."

"The Great Gatsby?" He was both mesmerized and amused by her reaction. She seemed to have just as much passion for books as she did dancing.

She nodded slowly as she continued to slowly turn the pages.

He sat his bottle of water on the table in front of him. "'So we beat on," he quoted, "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.'"

Riley chuckled, but didn't look up as she continued to scan through the pages. "You've read it."

"Once or twice." Lucas stood up and slowly walked toward her. "'I like large parties. They're so intimate. At small parties, there isn't any privacy.'"

Riley closed the book and turned to face him as he made the last few steps to where she was standing. No one could out quote her on The Great Gatsby. She took this as a challenge. "'It's a great advantage not to drink among hard-drinking people.'" She cut her eyes to the door before she laughed. She had to crane her neck to look up at him.

He slowly took the book from her and laid it on the table next to them without breaking eye contact with her. "'Their eyes met-"

Riley knew the quote immediately, "And they stared together at each other-"

"Alone in space," they finished in unison as they continued to look at one another.

Lucas reached forward and gently took her hands in his. He slowly began to bend his head down toward her. "Riley," he said softly, barely above a whisper.

"Lucas," she said even softer. Her breath hitched as his face inched closer and closer to her's. She closed her eyes as his lips softly brushed her's.

Before Lucas's lips could meet Riley's fully, the door opened. "Riley, you in here," Maya poked her head in. "Oh, God...did I interrupt something?"

Riley's snapped her head in the direction of her friend, hitting Lucas in the face with her ponytail. "No," she said quickly. She let go of Lucas's hands and walked toward Maya.

Lucas let out a silent groan. He ran a hand through his hair. "No," he agreed with a tight smile. He turned to face Maya. "You have impeccable timing, Maya."

"I try, Ranger Rick." She looked back and forth between the two of them. Riley's face was flushed and Lucas looked ticked off. Maya knew that she had definitely interrupted something between the two teens.

"Ranger Rick," Riley asked.

"Is that one going to stick," Lucas asked.

Maya grinned. "It is now."


	5. Chapter Four

_**A/N: I wanted to get this out to you guys tonight. Hopefully it doesn't seem disjointed. It did as I wrote it, but didn't when I scanned back through it. I just want my fellow Rucas shippers to keep the faith about the show. The story is far from over. My faith was shaken after the first time I saw Yearbook (yes, I've watched it multiple times), but I don't think MJ is stupid enough to just throw away the beautiful setup that is the Rucas story line. I have been thinking about a potential trilogy plot to the "Stay" series and one idea keeps coming to me. It's going to be insanely dramatic though, so be careful what you wish for with that one. Also, I will get back to my fluffy one shots once I get the next chunk of this story roughly written out. I think we all need some good fluffy Rucas at this point. Stay strong guys.**_

* * *

Chapter Four

Riley had a hard time concentrating in dance class the next day. Her head was spinning with thoughts of Lucas. Was he about to kiss her? No, that was impossible. He was just making sure that she was careful with the book. She felt his lips brush against her's though. Maybe he just didn't realize how close he was to her. Why would anyone like Lucas Friar be interested in her anyway? He was a great athlete, a great student, and seemed like a great friend. He could quote classic literature. He had perfect hair, a perfect face, perfect eyes. He had a perfect personality. Everything suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. She realized at that moment that Maya was right: she had a crush…a big one. _'Crap,'_ she thought to herself. This was the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to have feelings for anyone right now. She had too much to focus on. She knew what she wanted her future to be, and she had to focus on that, not on some boy. But oh, what a boy he was. The more she spoke to him, the more she learned about him, the more she liked him. And he seemed like a perfect gentleman to her, something she had never really seen from any of the guys her age. Sure, Josh seemed to have some manners, but even he, at times, acted like the average 17 year old male. Riley frowned. Don't most teenage guys make moves on the girls they like? Sure it felt like he was going to kiss her, but he hesitated. Did he realize that she was just his friend's little sister? Maybe he didn't like her. Riley looked at herself in the mirror. Of course he wouldn't be into her. She was just Riley Matthews. Geek and dance freak. She tripped as she missed one of the steps in her dance. Frustrated, she stopped moving completely. She closed her eyes for a second as she rubbed her temple. No, she would not let some guy come in between her and her dreams. She had come too far to allow that to happen.

* * *

Lucas opened his gym locker. He still couldn't believe he was that close to kissing Riley. He must've freaked her out because she had gone out of her way to not speak to him the last two weeks. She seemed to avoid him before that first game and she really seemed to avoid him after the game. She skipped lunch period completely, and never turned to acknowledge him in history class. Even when he had a presentation to make in front of the class, she just looked down at her history book. Of course she wouldn't like him. She was perfect, and he was just a jock. She must think that all he cared about was sports and girls or whatever stereotypes existed. He thought he had shown her that he was deeper, that there was more to him than just sports. Maybe that wasn't it at all. She didn't seem like the type of person to believe in stereotypes about people. Maybe she simply didn't think of him in that way and was afraid to tell him that. He sighed. He didn't want to scare her off, but maybe he had. Maybe he had come on too strong for her. Maybe she just saw him as her brother's friend. He shut his locker. He didn't even notice Josh standing beside him.

"Hey," Lucas greeted.

Josh looked at him for a long moment. Something had been up with Lucas for the last two weeks, ever since his party. "What's up, man?"

Lucas took a deep breath. This whole Riley thing was beginning to drive him crazy. He wondered if Josh knew anything about she felt about him. He had to ask either way. The brunette was beginning to occupy his every waking thought. "This is going to sound weird, but...has Riley said anything to you...about...me?"

Josh frowned as he opened his locker. "No, why would...oh," he nodded his head. He knew exactly what was bothering Lucas. Oh this was going to be fun.

"Oh what?" Lucas was still trying to act cool around Josh. He wasn't sure how Josh would react to the news that the new guy had a thing for his little sister, but he had to get some answers, or if he didn't know anything, he could at least get some advice. Josh had 16 years of experience with Riley, surely he would know how Lucas should proceed…if he should back off or try to speak with her about what happened at his house.

Josh raised an eyebrow at him. "You like Riley."

"What? You think that I..." Lucas could tell that Josh wasn't going to fall for that. He sighed, "Fine. I do." He waited a beat. "Are you pissed?"

Josh thought about it for a moment. Was he mad? This was completely new territory for him. Riley had never shown interest in anyone before. And although he knew some guys liked her, none of them ever had the guts to admit it to him. Josh liked Lucas though. He seemed like a genuine guy and he had to admit that he did keep an eye on him over the last month whenever he was around Riley. He seemed like he actually did care about her, and didn't appear to just be after her for the one thing that most guys their age were after. On the other hand, she was his sister and he was fiercely protective over her. "I'm not pissed," Josh told him. "I actually kind of figured it out after your party."

Lucas was taken aback. He didn't think he was that transparent, at least around Josh. "Really? How?"

Josh smiled at him. "Maya told me about what she walked in on."

Lucas rolled his eyes. Maya. It made perfect sense. "Of course she did."

Josh pulled out his gym bag. "So, are you going to ask her out?"

"I've thought about it to be honest, but she's been avoiding me for the last two weeks. I'm not sure she likes me like that." There. He had said it. This was a completely new area for him. He had never had to go out of his way to figure out if a girl liked him. Most girls that he knew seemed to be fairly obvious about it. He also knew it wasn't just a New York thing for girls to suddenly clam up. He knew for a fact that Missy Bradford was waiting for him to ask her out. No, this had to be uniquely Riley. She was complex, mysterious. She seemed like an old soul. She seemed to have a fondness for classic literature, loved to dance, and seemed to not understand why girls her own age obsessed over makeup and boys. No, this girl was completely different…completely refreshing. She challenged him in ways that both excited and frustrated him. She stood out. All he wanted was to get to know her better, be around her, and feel that incredible spark that he felt when he held her hand at his party. That spark haunted him. He knew that she felt it too. She had to have.

Josh sat on the bench in front of his locker as he went through his gym bag. "I probably shouldn't get involved, but...I'm pretty sure she does."

Lucas snapped out of his reverie. He moved to sit next to his friend on the bench, his full attention now on Josh. "How do you know?"

Josh gave him a knowing look.

"Maya?" Lucas's eyes lit up hopefully. Of course Maya would know how she felt. He also knew that Maya wouldn't ever betray Riley's confidence to him. She would, however, let things slip to Josh.

Josh nodded as he pulled his shoes out of the bag. "She just thinks you'll be a distraction from her dance stuff. She's really focused on this audition she has in a few months for a summer program with some fancy company. She doesn't want to screw it up."

That made sense to Lucas. If she felt distracted by him, of course she would try to ignore him in order to stay focused on her goals. "So," he cleared his throat, "if I asked her out, would you be ok with it?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, but you might want to talk to my dad about it first. He's crazy over protective of her." He laced up his shoes. "You do remember that he bought a shovel to use on you, right?"

"I had thought about that. I think he secretly likes me though."

Josh stood up and slung his gym bag over his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure he does too. He'll like you even more if you talk to him first."

* * *

Lucas's palms were sweaty as he made his way to the Matthews' apartment. He knew Riley was in dance class, which would make this conversation a little easier. The last thing Mr. Matthews needed to see what some teenage guy openly drooling over his daughter as he asked permission to take her out on a date. He took a deep breath when he reached their apartment door. He knocked quickly.

He was mildly surprised when Josh and Riley's nine year old brother answered the door. "Hello," he greeted.

"Hey Auggie," Lucas said. "Umm," he cleared his throat, "Is your dad home?"

"Dad," Auggie called as he ran back into the apartment, leaving the door wide open.

Cory walked into the living room. "What is it Aug?" He was mildly surprised to see Lucas standing in the doorway. "Mr. Friar...did you come to see Josh?"

"No." He gestured to Cory for permission to come in. After Cory nodded, Lucas walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "I came to talk to you sir."

Cory was skeptical, but his interest far outweighed the side of him that already suspected why he was there. "Oh? Is this about an assignment?"

"No sir."

"Is it about Josh?"

"No sir."

Cory eyed him, the skeptical side of him not outweighing his curiosity. He had a sinking feeling this was about Riley. "Then what is it about?"

Lucas shifted nervously on his feet. This was a lot harder than he thought it would be. "I came here today to ask permission to ask your daughter out on a date."

Cory was taken aback. Who was this kid? Who asks permission to go out on a date with someone? Though he was secretly impressed and admired him, this was his little girl they were talking about. Cory crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey Aug, could you give us a minute?"

The nine year old looked between them for a moment before he ran to his room.

Josh passed Auggie as he walked into the living room. "Hey," he told the two men as he walked over to the refrigerator. "What's going on?" He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.

Cory looked at his eldest child before looking back at Lucas. "This guy came over here to ask for my blessing to ask Riley out. What do you think?"

Josh looked at Lucas for a minute. He couldn't believe Lucas actually went through with it. He must have it bad for Riley. This could be fun. "Hmm...well...what do you think dad?" He moved to stand beside his father. He tried to match the same stern expression on his father's face.

"What's going on," Topanga asked as she came into the living room.

"Lucas wants dad's permission to go out with Riley," Josh told her as he tried to maintain the serious expression on his face.

Topanga was stunned. She had never heard of anyone who did that. Who does that? "Are you giving him a hard time," she raised a knowing eyebrow at Cory.

Cory put a hand to his chest as he tried to act offended. "Who me?"

"Cory," Topanga warned. "Now, you know that we were only 14 when we first started dating. Riley's mature for her age, and Lucas has been over here a lot over the last several weeks."

"Yeah, but she's our little girl."

Josh looked over at his friend. He knew he had to step in. Lucas was a good guy. He knew she would be in good hands. "She's not so little anymore, dad. She's growing up. She's only a year younger than I am. I had my first date at 14."

Topanga folded her arms over her chest. "Cory, come on. You told me yourself that you liked him."

Cory felt completely outnumbered as he looked at his wife and Josh. He wasn't sure what to do. This was his only daughter they were talking about. As much as he liked Lucas, he wasn't ready to let her go. Suddenly, an idea hit him to make this a little easier for everyone. He turned to Lucas. "Fine, you want my blessing?"

Lucas nodded, "I do, sir."

"You want it? You got it...on one condition." He turned to look at Josh. "I want this to be a double date. You and Riley and Josh and Maya."

Josh nodded. "Fair enough."

* * *

Lucas had no idea how or when he was going to ask Riley out. She still actively avoided him. She still skipped lunch and refused to turn and face him in class. It seemed as if she was always in dance class after school. He briefly considered trying to ask Maya for help, but he wanted to ask her himself. The decision was practically made for him one night when she came into the Matthews' apartment where Josh and he were studying for the anatomy test in the living room.

"Hey Riles," Josh greeted from where the two guys sat at the kitchen table.

"Hey," she said as she walked through the living room.

"How was dance?"

She sat her bags down on the couch before she walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "It was good. Finally nailed those insane pirouettes that Ms. Thompson added into my modern routine." She pulled out the grilled veggie leftovers from the dinner she missed.

Josh looked at the small amount of food she put on the plate. "Mom made meatloaf."

She scrunched her face up. "Yeah, I'm good on that. I'll just eat the veggies. I'm not that hungry anyway." She sat the plate in the microwave to warm up. She turned to the guys. She avoided making eye contact with Lucas. After avoiding him for weeks, her heart still fluttered whenever she was around him. Stupid heart. "How's the homework?"

Josh rubbed his eyes. They had been staring at the stupid book for hours it felt like. "It sucks. This test is going to be brutal."

The microwave beeped. Riley turned to take the plate out. "I don't envy you. Science is the worst."

"You don't like science," Lucas spoke for the first time since she walked in.

She sat the hot plate on the counter to cool off for a moment. She walked toward the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "I like it. It doesn't like me. I'm doing awful in chem right now."

Josh looked at Lucas. He was going to owe him big for this one. "You're in luck. Lucas is great at science. Maybe he could help you?"

Riley opened the bottle of water and took a small sip. "Yeah? I can use all the help I can get." Even though she wasn't thrilled at the idea of studying alone with him, she was a straight A student, and her grades meant almost as much to her as dance did. She was willing to accept help from anyone who offered it to her. She could put her feelings aside. She had been doing a pretty good job of it lately. After a few weeks of still being distracted by the thought of him, she was beginning to bounce back in her dance classes. She even seemed more focused than before. Maybe whatever she felt for Lucas was starting to disappear. She grabbed her plate and sat down next to Josh. "Is that ok, Lucas?" She looked at him for the first time since she came home. Her heart fluttered again. _'Crap. Why does he have to look like that?'_

He smiled at her. "Absolutely. We can set up a time that works out for both of us."

She nodded. "Ok. Thanks." She took a bite of her food as she wondered if this was a good idea or a bad idea. She was starting to feel more confident about her technique again. Was it a good idea to tempt fate by having him study with her?

"No problem."

Riley stood up after she finished eating. After she cleaned her plate, she turned to the guys. "Well, good luck with the studying." She grabbed her bags from the couch and left the room.

"Dude," Josh smacked Lucas's arm after Riley left. "Now's your chance. Go talk to her."

Lucas looked at Josh like he had grown a second head. "In her room?"

He raised an eyebrow at him. "It wouldn't be the first time you had a conversation with her in her bedroom."

* * *

Riley sat on her bed as she bandaged her slightly bloody toes. "It's going to be a long time before I can wear sandals," she mused. Her feet were so disgusting. It was the only downside to pointe: it killed your toes. She had just finished when someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she called as she walked toward her dresser to put the tape up.

Lucas poked his head in. "Hey. Can I come in?"

Riley was surprised. Her heart fluttered. _'I really wish you'd stop that,'_ she thought to herself. She took a deep breath. She had to calm down or she was never going to be able to be able to study with this guy. And she had to maintain her GPA. Her parents had made it perfectly clear. If her grades began to suffer, she would have to cut back on the number of dance classes she could take. She had to keep her emotions in check. School and dance. Dance and school. That's all there was. That's all there had to be. "S-sure," she stuttered slightly. She turned to sit at her window seat. "Wanna have a seat?"

"Sure," he closed the door behind him and walked over to her. He sat a safe distance away. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable. "Can we talk?" When she nodded, he took a deep breath. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Riley wasn't expecting that. "I haven't been avoiding you," she lied.

"Riley, come on. You have. You know you have...ever since my party." He looked down. "I want to know why." Even though Josh insisted that she liked him, he was still concerned that maybe Josh was wrong. Maybe she really was avoiding him because she didn't like him in the way that he obviously liked her.

She sighed. She wasn't sure how to tell him without giving her own feelings away. "I'm just...busy with dance, Lucas. Dance and school. That's how it's been since I started school. I'm so close to getting everything I want. I just...don't need any...distractions." She looked away. _'Well, if that didn't scream 'I have a big crush on you', I don't know what would,'_ she thought miserably.

He frowned. "Distractions? You think I'm distracting you?"

"I just don't have time for..." she couldn't finish her sentence. How could she possibly be any clearer? Did he just want her to admit her crush so he could laugh in her face? No, that couldn't be it. Lucas didn't seem like the type of guy to do that. Why was he pushing this though? It was obvious to her why she had been avoiding him.

"Riley, look," he rubbed his head. One of them had to put themselves out there to the other one. He figured it might as well be him. "I like you. And I feel like you like me too. At least it felt like you did when we were at my house. I don't want to distract you from what you want out of life. I just...want...I want to know how you feel about me."

Riley crossed her arms over her chest. Could she tell him how she felt? He seemed genuine with her. She knew at that moment that she had to be completely honest with him. This was new territory for her. "Lucas," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath; "I like you too. I don't know anyone else who can quote The Great Gatsby...even my dad can't do that. And I've been able to talk to you a lot easier than most people. And..." she laughed softly, "You make me actually want to watch football." She paused for a moment before her tone grew serious. "Dance is my life. It has been for a long time. That's my priority. I don't have room for much of anything else."

"One date," he told her.

"What?" She wasn't sure if she heard him right. He did just listen to the part where she said dance was her life, right?

"I would like you take you out on one date. Then we can reevaluate everything if you want to." He turned to face her fully. "I know how your life is. It is busier than mine, but I have a busy life too with sports, school, and figuring out where to go to school next year."

She blinked several times. "You're asking me out?"

She looked even more adorable when she was confused. "Riley Matthews, would you like to go out with me?"

Her head screamed 'no'. Her heart screamed 'yes'. She didn't know which one to listen to. She finally looked him in the eyes. "Yes," she finally said.

Lucas smiled. He honestly didn't expect her to agree. "Good. That would've been really embarrassing if you had said no."

"Cause it would be even more awkward between us than it is now?"

He nodded. "And your dad would never let me forget it."

"My dad?" She crinkled her nose. What did her dad have to do with anything?

"I sort of asked for his blessing before I asked you."

Riley was taken aback. Who was this guy? He asked for her dad's blessing? "Oh God. What did he do to you?"

He chuckled. "He wasn't bad. I think he secretly likes me. We do have to double with Josh and Maya. I figured that might make things more comfortable for you."

She nodded. "Probably would."

"How about Saturday night?"

She thought for a moment. "That works for me."

"Perfect." He stood up and walked to the door. "I need to get back to studying, but thank you...for giving me a chance."

"Thank you for asking me," she smiled.


	6. Chapter Five

_**A/N: I struggled with this chapter. I've been fighting writer's block thanks to the current episodes of GMW. Grrr. Anyway, I wanted to get this out to you guys. I hope you like it. It's not my finest chapter, but I know I just need to work through this block. Again, spell check has broken down on me, so I apologize for misspellings and grammatical errors. Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favs. Stick with me, I know where this is headed.**_

* * *

Chapter Five

 _Adagio: the first movement or portion where the female dancer is partnered by the male dancer_

"Thank God you're a normal girl with an amazing wardrobe," Riley told Maya as she looked at herself in the mirror. After Lucas left Riley's room that night, Riley immediately sprinted to her closet to figure out what to wear. She realized quickly that her wardrobe was severely lacking in anything that wasn't spandex, sweats, or school clothes. Since she was only slightly smaller than Maya, she begged Maya to bring over some options when she came over to help Riley get ready. Maya brought over several outfits, but Riley immediately grabbed the purple knee length, cap sleeved dress. After she tried it on, Riley turned to face her. "How do I look?"

Maya beamed. The color looked perfect against her olive complexion. "Perfect. I knew that dress would look amazing on you." She walked over to her to get a closer look. "Wait..." she looked at the back of it, "It is a little big on you." She started to examine the garment. "That's weird. I thought we were pretty much the same size."

Riley waved her hand. "Nah, it's fine." She tried to walk away from her, but Maya grabbed her arm and turned her around to face her.

"No," Maya's smile fell as she examined Riley a little closer. "Riles..."

Riley's smile didn't falter. "What?"

Maya crossed her arms over her chest. "You promised."

The girls stared at one another for a few moments before Riley rolled her eyes. "What do you want me to say?"

Maya grabbed her best friends hands and looked her in the eyes. "You promised me you wouldn't keep doing it. You're too thin." She looked her over once more, worry etched across her face.

Riley shrugged. "It's just from dancing so much, Maya. I'm at the studio like 30 hours a week right now."

"Riley," Maya tilted her head slightly to the side to let Riley know she wasn't about to be fooled. "I've kept this whole thing a secret. I held up my end of the deal we made. You need to hold up your end. Riley, please..."

Riley sighed. She knew Maya wasn't about to be easily placated. "It's just until my audition with ABT. After that, I'll be back to normal. I just have to make sure I'm fit enough."

"No," Maya shook her head. "I'm not accepting that. You promise me right now that this isn't going to keep going on. Riley, if you don't, I will tell your parents. This is serious."

Riley looked at her a long moment. "Fine. I promise."

Maya held up her hand. "Ring power?" She gestured to the friendship ring on her middle finger. It was part of a set of rings Riley gave Maya for her 14th birthday, one for Riley and one for Maya. Both of the girls never took their rings off and every time they made a promise to one another, they had to swear it on their rings.

Riley held up her hand. "Ring power," she said as she turned to face the mirror again. She looked at her hair for a moment before she moved a few loose curls away from her face. Luckily, her best friend was great at hair styling as well. Riley only knew how to put her hair in a bun, a ponytail, or leave it wavy. Maya, on the other hand, was a genius when it came to clothes, hair, and makeup. "What if I say something stupid?"

Maya, worried about Riley, but determined not to ruin the night for her, pulled out a pair of kitten heels from her overnight bag and handed them to her. "Riley, Josh and I are going to be there the whole time."

Riley slipped the black heels on, grateful that Maya was willing to change the conversation. "What if I fall or spill something on myself?"

"Odds are that you will, but you know what?" When Riley faced her, Maya smiled. "Ranger Rick likes you for you. And if he doesn't, then it's his loss."

Riley walked over toward her best friend and gave her a hug. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably wear a leotard on your date," she sighed as she hugged Riley back.

Riley laughed before she turned back to the mirror to check her makeup. "Probably. Thank God mom took dad and Auggie out. I'm nervous enough without worrying about dad giving Lucas the third degree." Riley was never more thankful for her mother. She had enough of her dad embarrassing her in front of him at school, she didn't want it this night. It was too important. It was her first date. It was a date with a guy that she found herself falling for more and more.

When the girls heard the doorbell, Maya squealed. "This is going to be so much fun."

Riley slipped a black cardigan on. "Do you know what we are doing tonight?" She walked over to her desk to grab her purse.

"No idea. Josh doesn't even know. It's supposed to be a surprise."

* * *

Josh and Lucas sat on the couch as they waited for Riley and Maya. "Come on guys," Josh yelled. "Dad said we had to be back by 11!"

"We're coming," Maya called back as the girls descended the stairs.

The guys stood up and walked behind the couch as the girls walked into the living room arm-in-arm. Lucas's heart slammed into his chest when he saw Riley. He even had to take a deep breath as they approached them to try to calm his pounding heart. He couldn't help but stare at her. He had always thought she was beautiful, but tonight, she was simply breath-taking. Her hair was curled with a few pieces pinned back, leaving a few curls to frame her face. Her makeup was light, but flattering, her eyeliner highlighting her chocolate eyes. He was afraid to move or speak. Part of him thought for a moment that he was dreaming. No one could look that perfect.

Riley wasn't fairing much better. Lucas looked amazing in his black slacks and blue button down shirt with a black tie and black blazer. She had the urge to tell him that he should always wear a tie, but decided against it. Her heart thumped against her chest. It hurt, but at the same time, she felt those butterflies in her stomach. She felt the color rise in her cheeks. She felt weak in the knees. Every cliché she had ever read about meeting the perfect person popped in her mind at that moment, and all of them felt true. She couldn't help but love every second of it. She felt...alive.

After giving them a moment to openly stare at one another, Josh awkwardly cleared his throat. "Ready guys?"

Lucas and Riley tore their eyes from one another as they both nodded dumbly at Josh.

* * *

"This place is really nice," Maya commented as she looked around the small Italian bistro. She looked at Josh. "How come you don't take me to places like this?"

He looked around. "Pretty sure we are here together now."

Maya swatted at his arm. "That doesn't count." She looked over at Lucas and Riley. "Clearly, this wasn't your idea."

Riley and Lucas chuckled at the couple. "You can't take them anywhere," Riley giggled.

"Is this ok," Lucas asked her. "I still don't really know my way around the city. My parents said this place was good though."

"It's great," she smiled. "I've never eaten here. I didn't even know this place existed and it's five blocks from where I live." She looked down at the menu.

"What's good here," Maya asked as she looked over her menu.

"My mom liked the chicken parmesan. Dad got the lasagna. He loved it."

"Sold," Maya said as she closed the menu. She turned to Riley. "What are you going to _eat_ , Riles?"

Riley glared at her friend for a second before she looked back at the menu. "I'll try the chicken parm," she closed the menu and thrusted it at her friend before she turned to her brother. "What about you Josh?"

"Spaghetti. Keeping it basic." He closed his menu.

Riley smiled at her brother before she turned to Lucas. "What about you, Lucas?"

"I'm thinking chicken parm," he smiled.

* * *

"The ballet," Josh and Maya groaned as they walked down toward their seats. The four teens all enjoyed their meals at the quaint Italian restaurant. Conversation came easy for all of them. Lucas talked about his life in Texas, carefully leaving out the fights he got into at his old school. He figured it would be too deep of a conversation for their first date. He knew he would eventually have to talk to her about it all, it just didn't have to be this soon.

Riley wasn't as nervous as she thought she would be. Talking to Lucas was easy. It felt like she had known him for years. At the same time, she just wanted to learn as much as she could about him. The more she learned, she more she fell. Surely there had to be something wrong with him. No one was that perfect. "You didn't have to," she told him as they finall found their seats.

"I want to," he said as he sat down. "You're so passionate about it. I want to get to know that side of you." He looked over at Josh and Maya. "You two can plan the activities for the next one." When Cory gave Lucas his blessing, Lucas immediately knew he wanted to take Riley to the ballet. She seemed so passionate about dancing. All he wanted was to experience that with her, to see that light in her eyes that she had whenever she talked about dance. He knew Josh and Maya wouldn't be pleased, but this whole evening was for Riley.

"Oh, you think there is going to be a next one," Riley raised her eyebrow at him.

"I'm hoping," he shrugged as he smiled at her.

As soon as the lights dimmed, Riley was on the edge of her seat. She had never seen "Giselle" live before. She stayed like that for the whole performance. She was completely fascinated by the whole production. The music, the grace, the seamless movements. It was sheer perfection.

As Riley's eyes were glued to the stage, Lucas's eyes were glued to Riley. He knew it was weird to just look at her like that, but he couldn't help it. He had never seen someone come alive by just watching something. He saw the whole ballet through her eyes, her emotions. Of course, he did try to watch the ballet, but his gaze kept wandering over to the brunette next to him. She was completely mezmerized by the dancers and he was completely mezmerized by her.

Josh and Maya were asleep five minutes into the performance.

* * *

As they walked home, Riley beamed. This evening was perfect for her. She got to spend time with someone she felt herself falling for and she got to watch a ballet she had been dying to see. She hated to see the night end. "The pas de deux was incredible."

"What's a pas de deux?" Lucas glanced at her briefly as they continued to walk down the illuminated street.

"It literally means a 'step of two'. It's a dance duet, basically. It's usually broken down into five parts: the entrée, which is the introduction of the dancers, the adagio, which is the first portion where the two dancers dance together, then there are two variations, one for each dancer, and then the coda, which is like the grand finale." She looked over at him and noticed that he was smiling. She crinkled her nose, something she always did when she was confused. "What?"

"Nothing," he laughed nervously.

She stopped walking. When Lucas turned to her to see why, she tilted her head to the side. She had to know what was on his mind. "Come on."

"I just…when you talk about it…you just seem so passionate about it."

Riley didn't say anything, but the blush that appeared on her cheeks made Lucas smile. She took a few steps to catch up to him before they resumed their walk.

Lucas slid his hands into his pockets. "So, it wasn't too terrible, was it?"

"What?"

"The date."

She smiled "No." _'It was like something out of a dream,'_ she thought to herself.

He nodded before he took a breath. "Then would you want to do it again sometime?"

"Lucas," she sighed. As much as she loved the night, she also knew that it still wasn't practical to keep seeing him. She would never have much time for him, and the last thing she wanted was for him to resent her for it.

Lucas thought for a moment before he decided to speak. He knew that she liked him. Maybe she didn't like him as much as he liked her, but he knew that she did feel something for him. "I know you think that this would get in the way of what you want, but you can have both. You did tonight. Riley, you can pursue your dreams and enjoy your life now."

"Yeah, but it's just like what I told you before. Dance is my priority. Dance and school."

He nodded. "I understand that." And he did. Football wasn't his whole life, and he had yet to find that kind of passion in anything in his life, but he understood that she loved what she was doing. She had her whole future planned out. He wasn't about to distract her from that. It was the last thing he wanted.

Riley was skeptical. She didn't think he understood exactly how much time she spent at the dance studio every week with her classes, extra studio time, and outside practices. "Do you? Really?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I really like you, Riley."

She gave him a warm smile. He looked nervous. As bad as it sounded, she kind of enjoyed seeing him like that. It made her realize that he definitely had feelings for her. "I like you too."

"I want to get to know you better."

She took a deep breath. She knew how she felt. "I feel the same way."

He stopped walking. He had to try again. What else did he have to lose? "So, why don't we have another date? Maybe without Josh and Maya this time."

She looked at him for a long moment as she tried to debate the pros and cons of it. "Ok."

"Ok?"

She rolled her eyes as she walked over to where he stood. She couldn't believe he was going to make her say it. "Yes, Lucas, I would love to go out with you again."

He smirked. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"It was brutal." She suddenly rubbed her arms as a cold chill passed through her.

"Here," he took off his blazer and draped it around her arms.

"Thanks," she said as they continued to walk back to Riley's apartment.

Josh and Maya had already gone inside the apartment by the time Riley and Lucas reached the front of the building. "Maya is spending the night with me," Riley told him.

"I figured your dad wouldn't let her spend the night with him."

"He wouldn't, but not because he's protective of Josh. He's actually more protective of Maya." She rolled her eyes as she thought about her father. "By the way, I'm sorry for everything he puts you through." She couldn't believe how he acted around Lucas. It didn't matter if it was at the apartment or at lunch or even in class. He always seemed to do something to embarass her in front of him. She knew he came from a loving place. It was still annoying.

"He just worries." Truthfully, Lucas had enjoyed the banter that seemed to exist between him and Riley's father. He could tell that Mr. Matthews actually liked him. He was just worried about how Lucas felt about Riley and vice versa.

"I don't know why." She lied. She knew exactly why. She just wasn't sure if Lucas knew why.

Lucas took a deep breath and took a step closer to her. "I think he knows how much I like you."

"He does?"

He nodded. "He catches me looking at you in History class."

Riley blushed and looked down. "Oh." _'He looks at me in history class?'_

"I'm sorry." The last thing he wanted to do was to scare her off. Surely by now she thought he was some sort of creep.

She looked back up at him. "It's ok." She cleared her throat. "I think he knows how much I like you too."

"He does?"

She nodded.

He reached up and cupped Riley's cheek in his hand. For a brief moment, he considered kissing her. The moment seemed right and he could feel her heartbeat racing underneath his hand. He smiled softly at her as he leaned in and softly brushed his lips against the other side of her cheek. He then took a few steps back as he moved his hand back down and slid it into his pocket.

Riley shrugged out of his jacket and handed it back to him. "Thank you. I had a great time."

"I did too. Goodnight Riley."

"Goodnight Lucas."


	7. Chapter Six

_**A/N: Posting this now, because we all need some Rucas. Thank you all for the awesome reviews, follows, and likes. They mean the absolute world to me. Again, sorry about spell check. I really need to switch to my other comp that actually has Word on it. :-/**_

* * *

Chapter Six

Riley couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she stretched in her "pas de deux" class the following Monday evening. She closed her eyes as she replayed the date over and over again in her head. It was...magical. Of course she enjoyed the dinner and going to the ballet, but it was just the thought of being near him, talking with him, the feeling she got when she was around him. It felt like they had known each other for years. She smiled to herself. She found herself wishing that he had kissed her that night. She even dreamed about what it would feel like if and when he ever decided to.

"You look happy," a male voice said from behind her.

She slowly opened her eyes and turned around. "Hey Charlie," she smiled.

"Hey Riley," he chuckled. "So...why the smile?"

She shrugged as she moved to sit down to do a few floor stretches. "I can't be in a good mood?"

"I know your good moods. This...is different." He sat next to her and began to stretch his arms.

Riley leaned forward to touch her toes. The image of Lucas popped into her mind. She couldn't help but grin. "Maybe it is." She sat back up and leaned back to stretch her back.

Charlie leaned forward. He looked over at Riley, who had closed her eyes again. "It's totally a guy."

Riley giggled softly. "Am I that obvious?" She stood back up and leaned backwards.

Charlie chucked. "No. I've just known you for what...four years now?" He stood back up and stretched his arms above his head.

Riley smiled at him. "He's...different, Charlie. There's something about him."

* * *

As soon as the bell rang, Riley sprinted into her history class, nearly tripping over her feet as she stepped over the threshold. The world's clumsiest girl was also a serious dancer. She considered herself a complete contradiction. She glanced at Maya briefly before she slid into her seat, but not before Cory turned to face her. "You were almost late, Miss Matthews."

She looked around nervously as she rubbed her wet hands together. "Sorry. Time got away from me in chem lab."

Cory took a step closer to her as he started to take in her appearance. He tried not to laugh when he saw that she had some sort of white foam on the left side of her body. "What happened?"

She looked at him sheepishly, as she tried to wipe some of it off of her. "You know I'm not good at science. That's why Farkle still isn't here. He got hit worse than I did..." her voice trailed off as she saw Farkle walk into the classroom. The entire class laughed at him. Riley cringed as she took in his appearance. He looked worse than she remembered. "Farkle, I'm sorry."

He shrugged as he wiped some of the foam off of his shoulders. "It's fine, Riley. Next time, try not to pour so quickly."

Cory looked at Farkle for a long moment. He was covered head to toe in the substance. It took everything he had in him not to laugh at the teenager. That poor boy often got the short end of the stick. He briefly wondered who Farkle angered in a past life in order to be stuck with his daughter in the chemistry class. "Farkle, you can go to the bathroom to clean up if you want to. You're completely excused." He saw Riley make a move to stand up. "Not you, Miss Matthews. You definitely weren't hit as hard. Farkle looks like the Staypuft Marshmallow Man."

Riley ran a hand through her hair. She looked at the foam residue in her hand and cringed as she shook her hand to get it off of her.

"Hey," Lucas whispered across from her once Cory turned around to begin class.

She turned to face him. "Hi." She was completely embarrassed. Of course this had to happen right in front of him. She really couldn't blame Lucas if he cancelled their date or completely ran away from her. She was Hurricane Riley: she seemed to destroy everything in her path. Poor Farkle was just standing next to Riley when she mixed those chemicals together.

"Can you study tonight?" He took in her appearance and tried not to laugh. Even with half of her body covered in white foam, she looked absolutely adorable.

She thought for a moment as she tried to remember her dance schedule for that day. "I have class til 9."

"That's fine." He looked over at the pile of foam by the door where Farkle had stood. "I think you need it."

"You think?" She tried not to laugh as she pictured Farkle. He looked just like the Michelin man.

Cory cleared his throat as he faced the class. "Miss Matthews. Mr. Friar. Can we get started?"

* * *

It was nearly 9:45 before Riley got home. When she came in, she saw Josh and Lucas studying at the dinner table. "I'm so sorry," she apologized as she shut the door. "Time got away from me." She sat her bags down on the couch and walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

"It's fine, Riley," Lucas told her.

She looked at the books spraweld out on the table. "Is it too late to get started?"

He smiled at her. "Not at all." He closed his English book. "You good, Josh?"

"Yeah," he nodded. He looked at his sister. "Maya told me what you did to Farkle."

Riley shrugged. "You all know I'm horrible at science. He told me to pour. I poured."

"You're supposed to pour slowly, Riley," he laughed. "It's chemistry. There's going to be a reaction."

She threw her hands up. "How was I supposed to know? I told Farkle that he wouldn't want to be my partner. He tried to tutor me in biology last year. That had to end for the sake of our friendship. He gets frustrated so easily, and I just don't understand it at all."

Josh stood up and walked toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It might be because you tried to kill him."

"Ha, ha," she said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. She turned to Lucas. "Let me change my clothes really quickly."

* * *

It was nearly midnight before Riley felt like she had a better grasp on the material. Lucas seemed so patient with her. After the disasterous tutoring sessions with Farkle, she swore she would never let a friend tutor her again, but this was different. He seemed to understand what to say in order to make it easier for her to understand. He never got frustrated with her, never laughed at her when she got an answer wrong, and even though being around him was slightly distracting, she found herself hanging on his every word. Yes, he definitely made it easier for her to take an interest in the subject. "You're a really great tutor, Lucas. I've learned more tonight than I have all year in class." She pulled out her phone to check the time. "Oh my God. It's midnight!" She looked over at him. "I'm sorry. I know it's late."

Lucas stood up and began to get his books together. "It's fine, Riley. I figured it would be late by the time we finished. I just figured we could at least get started tonight before you really blew Farkle up," he chuckled.

Riley laughed lightly. "You're making fun of me."

"It's kind of easy to after what happened in history today."

She nodded. "Farkle looked ridiculous. Poor guy."

They fell into a comfortable silence as Lucas finished gathering his things. He slid his bookbag on. "Now that we have our first study session out of the way, I have something important to ask you."

She closed her chemistry book and looked up at him. "What is it?"

He gave her a smile. "What are your plans for Saturday night?"

She chuckled. "You sure you want to see me again? I'm pretty dangerous." She slid her books into her bookbag.

"I'll take my chances."

She looked down for a moment as she thought about her dance schedule for Saturday. She glanced back up at him. "I get out of class around 5."

Why did he suddenly feel nervous? He knew she liked him. She knew he liked her. Why was his mouth suddenly dry? Why were his palms sweaty? As comfortable as he felt talking with her, she still managed to make him feel nervous. "Would you like to go out with me around 7? Just you and me?"

She nodded. "Sounds great." He voice sounded steady, but inwardly, Riley was jumping and yelling. Her heart was doing summersaults and those pesky, but wonderful butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

"Good," he smiled as he walked to the front door. Riley followed behind him. After he opened the door, he turned to face her. "I almost forgot to tell you something."

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You looked adorable when you ran into class with that goop in your hair." He winked at her before he turned around and left.

Riley leaned against the door after she closed it. She bit her lip to keep from squealing and waking her family up. She knew at that moment that she had completely fallen for Lucas Friar.

* * *

Once again, Maya helped Riley get ready for her date with Lucas. This time, however, Riley decided to wear her own clothes. Lucas told her to prepare for a more casual outing, so Riley opted for jeans and a cream colored sweater. The weather had a slight crisp in the air, a sure sign autumn, Riley's favorite season, was approaching.

Maya couldn't help but smile at Riley as she helped her apply her makeup. "So, Riley Matthews...first alone date with your dream guy..."

"Maya, don't make me nervous." Riley really didn't need a reminder. She had repeated that little fact to herself ever since Lucas left her apartment that night. Alone. Together. What if she said something stupid? What if she tripped and fell? What if she couldn't think of anything to talk about? Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea...

"I only have one question." Maya grabbed the eyeshadow that sat on Riley's dresser.

"What's that?" She closed her eyes as Maya began to apply the eyeshadow.

"Do you think you'll get your first kiss tonight?"

"Maya!"

"Come on, Riles. You must've thought about it."

Thought about it? It was the only thing she thought about ever he kissed her cheek. Every night she dreamt about what it would be like to kiss him. Were his lips firm? Were they soft? How would it feel if they kissed? Would she feel that same spark that she felt whenever they touched? What if she was a bad kisser? What they both leaned their heads in the same direction and bumped noses? What if she lingered too long? Would he push her off of him? What if he didn't like it? Riley opened her eyes. "Well...ok...of course I've thought about it."

"And..." Maya beamed.

 _'And I'm freaking out about it,'_ her brained screamed at her. Riley took a deep breath. "I mean...if it happens...it happens," she shrugged.

"What a diplomatic answer," she grumbled.

Riley stood up and walked to the mirror to check her makeup. "Maya, I promise...if it happens...you'll be the first to know." _'And I probably won't shut up about it.'_

"First to know what," Josh asked as he walked into her bedroom.

"You could've knocked," Riley told him as she glanced at herself in the mirror one last time.

Josh shrugged. "Where is the fun in that?"

Riley turned to grab her purse. "What do you want?"

"Lucas is here," Josh told her.

"Is dad behaving?"

"What do you think?"

* * *

"So, second date…" Lucas began as he and Riley wandered around Central Park.

Riley nodded. "It is."

"Thoughts about it so far? I know it's not as big as the first one." Truthfully, he thought a nice walk around the park would be a great second date. They would be able to get to know each other a little more. He wanted to learn everything he could about her. The more he discovered, the more he found himself falling under her spell.

"Lucas, I love that you took me to the ballet. I do...but I don't expect that every time we hang out." She looked around them. "I love this. Just walking around the park." She looked up at the trees. "I love that the leaves are starting to change color. It's my favorite time of the year. The whole park looks incredible with all of the yellows, oranges, and reds. It's one of my favorite places to be in October."

He smiled at her. She seemed to find the beauty in everything around her. Was she really only 16? She was definitely an old soul. "Maybe we can take another walk through here in a few weeks once the colors really come in?" The began to walk across a small bridge.

"Absolutely," she told him. She looked up again. "There are some yellows starting to show. The park is truly magical in the fall. You forget that you're in New York." She stopped walking in the middle of the bridge to look around them.

Lucas turned to face her. "What's wrong?"

She thought for a moment, then smiled. She closed the space between them and looked up at him. "You know...there are some moments you know you're going to remember forever." She wasn't sure if it was the atmosphere or the confidence she suddenly felt, but she reached up and gently pulled his face to her's. She softly, slowly kissed his lips. She leaned back slightly and searched his eyes as she looked for a hint of how he felt about the kiss. "This is one of them."

He grinned at her before he leaned in to kiss her once more. This time, he was the one who pulled her in close as he wrapped his arms around her back. She moved her hands to the back of his neck as they both wondered if time could just stop so that they could stay in that moment forever.


	8. Chapter Seven

_**A/N: I caught a lot of errors in this one, but I cringe when I think about what others there are in here. Sorry. I promise I'm moving this to another computer with an actual spell check on it. I watched the 'Romeo and Juliet' pas de deux on youtube as I wrote that part (if any of you wanted a point of reference). This chapter goes out to Floridianfan. This girl has been keeping me sane on instagram about this crazy show. Keep the faith everyone! Us Rucas shippers have to stick together!**_

 _ **Also, Nat15...your reviews continue to amaze me. I feel so pushed/inspired by you to be better, to develop my writing further, to live up to your expectations, because as I've told you before, I am so not worthy of your praise.**_

 _ **RedWingChris, I want all the filters spammed with Rucas love...as they should be ;)**_

 _ **Tytyrocks4u...how dare you doubt me. ;) Kidding. I had the same thought when I initially brainstormed this, but I considered it a challenge...how do I take a clumsy girl and turn her into a primadonna? Just separate the two...haha. Honestly, the most complicated part was trying to fit Josh into everything.**_

 _ **RUCAS FOREVER, keep the faith. It's going to get rough, but I believe in Pluto...you should too. I'm not giving up on Rucas.**_

 _ **Everyone else, I love you guys. You inspire me soooooo much. Thank you all for your kind words. :)**_

* * *

Chapter Seven

Riley was almost late to her pas de deux class Monday evening. She was never late to dance class. She practically slid into the dance studio after she finished putting on her pointe shoes. After mumbling an apology to the instructor, she moved to stretch next to Charlie.

"Riley Matthews is late," Charlie mocked from his position on the floor. He leaned forward to stretch his legs.

"Shut up," she laughed as she took a seat next to him.

"What happened?" Charlie leaned back.

"I got held up," she replied as she began to stretch her arms.

Charlie stood up as he began to stetch his back. "You know parent's weekend is this weekend."

"Crap," she cringed as she leaned forward to touch her toes. "I can't believe I forgot about that." Was it really that time of the year already?

"I can't believe that either. It's like your favorite thing all year...well...besides the actual recitals."

"Yeah. I've just been busy." She moved to stand up. They both walked over to the barre to stretch their legs.

Charlie lifted his leg over the barre and leaned over. "Mmhmm...is your boy coming to it?"

Riley placed her leg on the barre and leaned forward. She looked over at Charlie as she stretched. "To parents weekend?"

"Yeah...anyone can come, Riley."

"I know that, Charlie. I just...haven't thought about it. He might not be interested." She switched legs and leaned forward as she faced away from him.

"Please. If he's as crazy about you as you are about him..."

She rolled her eyes at him as she lowered her leg. She started doing a few pliés. "What makes you think that?"

"Riley, I know you. You've had this goofy smile on your face for the last few weeks." He began to stretch his arms. "You should ask him."

Riley didn't answer Charlie as she continued to warm up. She hadn't even thought about parents weekend, let alone thought about inviting Lucas to it. She knew Maya would be there with her family, they came every year. She loved being able to actually demonstrate her routines on parents weekend. It allowed her and the other dancers to perform without all of the stress of the New York dance community in attendance. It was strictly for parents and friends of the dancers. Riley loved it. There was no pressure and she was able to really get a feel for what was working in her choreography, and what wasn't. Of course, some of the more classical pieces she attempted she couldn't really change the choreography, but it still gave her an opportunity to perform in the public without worrying about who was in attendance. Every opportunity was more practice for her upcoming auditions.

* * *

Riley couldn't keep the grin off of her face as she walked home that night. She knew that was the best "pas de deux" class she had ever had, even if Charlie dropped her once. In fact, her other two classes that night went really well too. She couldn't describe it. Everything just clicked. She never had a problem with choreography, but she always felt something was missing...something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She felt like she had actually connected with the music somehow. She felt what she was dancing, and she knew it added another level to what she was trying to accomplish. To further affirm that, each of her teachers that night told her that she had found her spark. Even Charlie told her that she moved with a different type of seamless grace. Riley knew the reason for it. Her heart soared at the mere thought of Lucas, so it would make sense that it would somehow shine through in her routines. She had to roll her eyes at herself. How clichéd did she sound right now? At first, she didn't even want this. Guys were just a distraction. They wouldn't understand how much it all meant to her. But, he seemed to. He seemed to support her and actually try to take an interest in it. Should she invite him to parents weekend? Riley shook her head. He was probably busy, anyway. Even if he wasn't, Riley was sure that there were probably a 1000 other things he wanted to do other than sit in an auditorium for about four hours watching every routine from every dancer at her studio.

She rounded the corner and saw her apartment building. She had to calm herself down. She didn't want things to move too fast too soon. The last thing she wanted was to scare the guy off. She also didn't want to set herself up to get her heart broken. They were just getting to know one another. And she really didn't want to go too fast because dance and school were still her priorities. They had to be. She didn't have time to squeeze in a third. Logically, that all made sense to her, but as she climbed the stairs toward the front door, she couldn't help but grin as the memory of that magical kiss popped into her head.

* * *

"Dude, you just aren't getting this, are you," Lucas laughed at Josh. Almost an hour into their English homework, and Lucas couldn't believe Josh still wasn't comprehending the reading.

"No," Josh said as he shook his head, "This makes no sense. Why are we even reading this?"

"Because it's English class." Lucas looked at the book again. "How do you not get it? It's your sister's favorite book."

"That doesn't mean we share the same brain...or interests." Josh paused. "How do you know that's her favorite book?" When Lucas didn't reply, Josh started to laugh. "You've got it bad, don't you?"

"Ok, so basically," Lucas continued without acknowledging Josh's comment, "this guy fell in love with this girl...he goes off to war...she ends up marrying someone else...he comes back...and throws all of these lavish parties just to try to get her attention. Well-"

"Well, doesn't that sound familiar," Josh interrupted. He sat his pencil down on the table as he leaned forward to place his elbow on the table. He bent his head down to rest in his hand as he looked at Lucas. He gave him a knowing look.

Lucas knew Josh was fishing for information. He wasn't about to bite. "What are you talking about?"

"I seem to recall a certain party that a certain Gatsby...I mean you...threw just to hang out with Daisy...I mean Riley."

Lucas rolled his eyes even though he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. "Josh, I was having that party whether she came or not."

Josh wasn't going to let up. "And how many parties did Gatsby throw before Daisy showed up?"

Lucas just looked at him for a moment before he leaned back in his seat. He suddenly understood what Josh was trying to do. "You set me up."

Josh laughed. "Riley's made me watch every version of that movie ever made. You two are so Gatsby and Daisy. You're going to live happily ever after." He closed his book. "I'm good on Gatsby." He tossed the book on the table. "So, what's next? Math?"

"Wait a minute," Lucas was confused. Did Josh just say that Gatsby and Daisy had a happily ever after? Lucas must've misunderstood. Josh said he watched every version of the movie. "You know how it ends, right?"

Josh shrugged. "Honestly? I fell asleep about halfway in every time."

Lucas leaned his head back and laughed. After a moment he looked over at his very confused friend. "And you wonder why you have a C in English."

"What? How else could it have ended? Riley loves it for a reason...she's all about fairytales and happy endings." Josh grabbed the book again.

"Josh...Daisy stays with her husband and Gatsby dies."

"What?!"

Lucas couldn't believe this. "Yeah. Really. Read the book, Josh."

"Huh...I guess you learn something new every day." He thumbed through the book. "I might actually try to read this then." He tossed the book back on the table and turned to his friend. "So, do we need to have the 'I'll kill you if you hurt my sister' conversation or not?"

Lucas sighed. He knew Josh wasn't going to let it go. "I like your sister, Josh."

"That's obvious. So are you two together or..."

The front door creaked open as Riley came home. She looked at the guys at the kitchen table. "Two weeks in a row? Geez..." she tossed her bags on the couch, "Keep this up Lucas and Josh might actually get straight As." She walked over to her brother and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

Josh chuckled. "Big talk coming from you."

Riley leaned against the kitchen counter. "Meaning?"

Josh ticked his eyes back and forth between his sister and Lucas. "Meaning that Lucas and I were just talking about how-"

"The Great Gatsby. We were talking about The Great Gatsby." He looked up at her. "Hey."

She smiled at him. "Hi."

Josh looked between the two of them. "Oh brother." He shook his head. These two were ridiculous around each other. "Anyway...Lucas was giving me an overview."

"Overview," Riley furrowed her eyebrows, "Josh, I've made you watch it a million times. Why do you need help with it?"

"Well, we were just comparing it to how Lu-"

"We were just comparing the book to the movies," Lucas cut in.

Riley nodded. "Gotcha. Well, if you need any help, I definitely know that book frontwards and backwards." She walked towards the refrigerator.

"How was class," Lucas asked her as she grabbed an icepack from the freezer.

"Good," she told them. She looked down at the icepack, "great actually."

"Why's that," Josh asked her.

Riley looked up at him. "I just..." she laughed lightly, "I...finally understood something." She cut her eyes over to Lucas before she walked to a drawer to grab a towel.

"Why the icepack," Josh gestured to the compress in her hand.

Riley wrapped the towel around the icepack. "Charlie accidentally dropped me."

Josh started laughing. Lucas didn't seem amused as he looked at her, concern etched across his face. "Who's Charlie?"

"What happened," Josh asked her as he still chuckled.

"Charlie is my pas de deux partner," she told Lucas as she walked behind Josh and smacked the back of his head for laughing at her. "He was just a second too late on a lift, so he wasn't ready for me when I ran at him. I fell and hit my thigh on the floor."

Josh winced as his laughter settled. "Ouch. Sorry, sis. So I guess it wasn't a good night?"

"It actually was a great night. That was the only downside, but we got it worked out and it's going to be amazing." She looked at the books scattered across the table. "Sorry. I didn't meant to keep you guys from your homework." She gave them both a smile before she headed towards her room.

After she left the room, Lucas turned to Josh. "Hey, I'll be right back."

Josh gave him a sly smile. "Yeah...ok."

"What?"

"I know where you're going."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

* * *

Riley had only been in her room for a minute when she heard a knock on her door. Her heart leapt into her chest. She already knew who it was. "You can come in, Lucas," she called to him.

He peeked his head in. "How did you know it was me?"

"My family doesn't knock...they're pigs," she chuckled as she moved the icepack around on her leg. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he smiled. "I just wanted to talk...without an audience."

"Me too." The both moved to sit at the bay window. "So..."

Lucas rubbed his palms on his knees nervously. "The other night was great."

She nodded. "It was."

 _'Get it together, Friar,'_ he told himself. Being this nervous around her was starting to annoy him. He didn't want to be nervous around her. He wanted to be in control. This whole not being in control of his emotions was new to him...new and annoying. "Riley, I know that you have school and dance and that it takes up most of your time..."

"It does," she shifted slightly in her seat as she moved the icepack around as the coldness stung her slightly.

"I was wondering though...and I know we've only been out twice...and really only once if you really think about it...but that doesn't matter...I guess what I'm trying to ask is...well, if you don't want to, I completely understand...it's just that I..." Lucas was never at a loss for words, but in that moment, his brain completely shut down. Was it too soon? Were they moving too fast?

"Yes?" Riley held her breath.

Lucas let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "When did you want to get together again to study?"

Riley exhaled as she tried to hide the disappointment from her face. "Umm..." she tried to search her brain for her schedule, "Wednesday? I know you guys don't practice on Wednesday's and I get out around 7."

"Ok," he moved to stand up. "That sounds good."

Riley stood up. "Yeah, I have a test on Friday, so that'll help me a lot, I'm sure."

"Good." He walked toward her door.

"Lucas?"

He turned to face her. "Yeah?"

There was a million things she wanted to say to him. She wanted to ask him what he thought about their date, about their first kiss, about their second kiss...about the possibility of any future kisses or dates. She wanted to ask him out on another date. She wanted to ask him to go to parents weekend and watch her dance. She wanted to share that side of herself fully with him. She wanted him to stay in her room for just a little while longer so they could just talk. When she opened her mouth to speak, her words surprised herself. "Thank you for helping me with chemistry."

"It's not a problem, Riley."

She sat the icepack down on her bed. "I know, but you don't have to...but you are. It's nice of you."

"Well...you're welcome," he smiled. This wasn't how he imagined their conversation going, but maybe they did need to take things slowly. He didn't want to rush. They had all the time in the world to see where things went between them.

She nodded at him before he turned and left her room, closing the door behind him. Riley clinched her fist together before she flopped on her bed. That wasn't at all how she pictured that conversation going. She sat up when she heard another knock on the door. This time she wasn't sure who knocked. "Come in!"

Lucas entered her room again. "Sorry to bother you, but I forgot something."

Riley scrambled to stand up. "Oh, no...that's fine. What's up?"

He reached her in two strides, held her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly.

Riley placed her hands on top of his as they kissed. This. This is exactly what she wanted to ask him too. All of her questions were answered without saying a single word. Except one.

He searched her eyes as he pulled back. "I've been wanting to do that ever since you walked in."

"I've been wanting you to do that ever since I came home," she looked into his eyes for a moment. "Actually...there is something I wanted to ask you."

He lowered his hands from her face and took a few steps back to give her a little space. "What is it?"

"It's stupid...and please feel free to say no if you want to because it's not a big deal, but...this weekend my dance studio is having a parents weekend. They do it every year. It's basically like a recital except it's just for parents and friends of the dancers. No one from the professional dance community is allowed. It's basically a big dress rehearsal before the fall recital and all of the auditions and stuff...and I was wondering if you would want to go? You can feel free to say no...I'm sure you have much better things to do on your Saturday than watch-"

"I'd love to," he interrupted.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Oh." She was flustered. She didn't expect him to actually say yes. "Well, Maya and Josh will be there with Auggie and my parents, so you won't be alone or anything. It does run long...like four hours...but we usually go out to eat after."

"It sounds great, Riley."

* * *

Riley was never nervous when she performed. Never. Not once. Not even the first time she stepped foot on a stage. She couldn't believe she was actually nervous now. It wasn't an audition, it wasn't even a recital, it was parents weekend. But she knew he was out there. She knew he would be watching her. And even though he saw her dance for five seconds in her bedroom, this was different. This was everything she had put her heart into for the last several months. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You ok," Charlie chuckled.

She took a deep breath. "Yeah." She turned to look back on the stage as the three year old class danced around to an old Shirley Temple song.

"Nervous?" He was surprised. Riley was never nervous.

Riley fidgeted with her hands. Her palms were sweaty. "Don't drop me, Charlie. This is only my first number tonight. I have seven more after this one."

"You will never let me forget that, will you?"

She looked at him over her shoulder. "Of course not," she smiled before turning back to the stage. The three year old class ran off the stage. The stage hands rolled the balcony on the stage. She turned to Charlie one last time. "Here we go, Romeo."

* * *

Maya looked at her program as the stage hands rolled the balcony onto the stage. "Riles is next," she told everyone before she nudged Josh. "Wake up. Your sister is next."

"She's in what...six of these things," he mumbled as he tried to wake himself up. This was so boring. He could think of a thousand better things to do with his Saturday than this, but he wanted to support his sister. She loved this, and he wanted to be there for her like she was for him. He just wish she would've chosen something more entertaining to do.

Maya snorted. "Try eight."

Josh sat up in his seat. "Eight?! Jesus..."

She smacked his arm. "Shut up. She goes to your football games."

It was Josh's turn to snort. "Yeah, to see cowboy over there." When Lucas glared at him, Josh cringed. "Sorry, man. I've been hanging out with this one too much."

Maya giggled, "That's funny."

"She's doing 'Romeo and Juliet'," Topanga whispered to Cory. "Oh, I know she'll be perfect."

Cory smiled proudly. "She always is."

* * *

It only took a few moments for the stage to get set up. The lights dimmed so Riley could get positioned on the balcony, her nerves almost completely shot. As the music began, her nerves disappeared completely as she was swept up in the music. She loved this piece. It was so romantic, so fluid and graceful. As she began, she thought about Lucas, and their first date...how he kissed her cheek instead of trying to kiss her lips. Perfect gentleman. She leaned forward on the balcony, eyes closed, as she recalled every millisecond of their actual first kiss. It was so picturesque, so perfect.

As the tempo of the music changed, she opened her eyes and began to look for her Romeo on the stage. They looked at one another for a long moment, Riley's mind still set on that evening the park, on that bridge. As she descended the balcony stairs, she snapped herself out of her reverie. The music was fully taking her away now, and it was time to allow Charlie to be the one to sweep her off of her feet.

As they held hands, Charlie gave her's an extra squeeze. Riley knew why. She knew her palms were still sweaty. She also knew that Charlie would tease her mercilessly about it later. As she brought his hand to her heart, she also knew that he could feel how fast her heart was racing. Oh, she was definitely going to hear about all of this later.

As Charlie began his entrée, Riley focused on her breathing. Deep, calm, steady breaths. No one else was around. This was just Charlie and her practicing. Just a practice. She took one last deep breath before she ran toward him from across the stage. She did a few pirouettes before he took her in his arms as the adagio began.

Riley felt alive as she moved. As Charlie and her danced together, her mind was on the grace, the beauty of the piece. She felt seamless, flawless, as they moved together, neither missing a beat. Despite their accident earlier in the week, Riley trusted Charlie completely as she came toward him once more and he lifted her over his head. The move appeared effortless, when in reality, it took a few years of knowing one another and learning to trust one another before they were able to execute it with as much grace as they did.

When Riley began her variation, she felt like a real ballerina...one of those you dream about becoming as a child, but never are able to replicate in real life. She felt like the epitome of grace and elegance as she moved. She loved the music, she loved the movement, she loved this moment. She loved every form of dance, but pointe had her heart, she knew that.

They were flawless as they moved into the coda. She felt like a doll as Charlie lifted her. As they slowed down and moved towards one another, Riley knew this was it...the part she had dreaded and the part they hadn't really practiced that much. _'Thank God this isnt my first kiss,'_ she mused as they looked at one another. Charlie closed the gap in between them, embraced her, and kissed her softly. Riley backed away from him and ran back up the balcony stairs. She leaned over and reached for Charlie as he reached for her. The lights dimmed. Riley finally took a breath as the audience began to cheer. She recognized Maya's voice when she heard her scream, "You kiss that girl." She laughed as she ran off the stage. She couldn't enjoy the moment for long, she only had a few minutes before her next routine.

* * *

"Well, this just got interesting," Josh said as they watched the stage hands move the balcony off the stage. He looked over at Lucas. "What did you think about that," he teased.

Maya rolled her eyes. "You know it was just part of the act," she told Lucas.

Lucas was suprised at first about the kiss at the end of it, but he wasn't angry. It was a part of their routine. It was art. "I know," he told them. "She was...wow." He couldn't describe it. She moved with even more grace than the first time he saw her. She melted into her partner and into the music. He knew that she was going to do amazing things with her talent. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she moved. He wondered briefly if she thought of him when she touched her cheek at the beginning of the routine, but quickly dismissed the thought. He was sure she had a million things running through her mind, the last of which would've been him.

"Aren't you glad you got there first," Josh teased him.

"What," Cory shrieked. The crowd around him shushed him, including Maya.

"Mr. Matthews, be mindful of those around you," she teased.

* * *

Riley couldn't wait to see her family, Maya, and Lucas once the show was over. She had so much adrenaline as she looked for them in the lobby. When she spotted them, she ran over to them. Josh's back was turned to her, so she took the opportunity to surprise him by jumping on his back. "Surprise," she yelled.

Josh laughed as he flailed around to try to get her off of him. After a moment, Riley jumped down. Josh turned to hug her. "You were great, sis!"

"Thanks," she grinned. Everyone gave her a hug and a congratulations. Her dad handed her a bouquet of pink roses, a tradition ever since she started to dance. "Thank you, daddy."

Lucas was the last in line. He hugged her with one arm before presenting her a single red rose from behind his back. "You were incredible," he told her.

She took the flower and sniffed it. She loved the smell of roses. "Thank you, Lucas. It wasn't too boring, was it?"

He shook his head. "It was great. And Josh and Maya were entertaining me in between numbers."

"Riley!"

Riley turned her head as she saw Charlie approach. They hugged one another. "Charlie! I couldn't find you backstage. You were amazing!"

"Not as good as you," he told her before turning to the group.

"Oh, Charlie, you know my parents, Auggie, Josh, and Maya...this is Lucas," she introduced.

"Ohhhhh," Charlie exaggerated as he shook Lucas's hand, "The famous Lucas. Riley talks about you all the time."

Riley nudged him. "Thanks...Charlie."

"No problem," he grinned.

" _All_ the time," Cory looked pained. He was definitely losing his little girl.

"Not _all_ the time," Charlie backtracked.

"You were great out there, Charlie," Topanga said.

"How are you able to lift her," Auggie asked him.

Charlie laughed. "A lot of weight lifting," he joked. When he saw that Riley wasn't amused, he playfully wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Kidding, Riles." He turned to Auggie. "Your sister is pretty light. Just takes a lot of practice."

"A _lot_ ," Riley added.

"You two look ready for your auditions," Topanga told them.

"We still have some work to do," Riley sighed, "but it's coming together."

"I'm not sure how if could get any better," Cory added. "You both looked amazing together."

"Thanks, dad."

"Charlie, we're all going to dinner. Do you want to come with us," Topanga asked him.

Charlie moved his arm down from around Riley's shoulders. "I wish I could, but my parents are waiting for me."

"Next time then," Cory told him.

"Absolutely, sir." He turned to Riley. "See you Monday?"

"Yep."

* * *

After the whole family had dinner together, they all went back to the Matthews' place where Maya, Josh, Riley, and Lucas all decided to watch a movie and unwind from the day's events. Maya curled up in the crook of Josh's arm, which was wrapped around her back. A blanket covered them as they both slept during most of the movie. Riley and Lucas sat beside one another on the other side of the couch.

"You really were great today," he told her as the movie ended.

"Thank you...for that...and for coming...and for the rose. You didn't have to." She shifted slightly in her seat to look at him.

"I wanted to. I loved seeing that side of you. I know it's a big part of who you are, but I haven't actually seen it yet...well...besides when we first met."

She looked down at her hands for a moment. It made her happy to know that he seemed to enjoy the day. It meant more to her than she thought it would. "I wanted to share that side of me with you...because it is a big part of my life."

Lucas hated himself for asking about this, but he had to. It was nagging him. "So, Charlie and you..."

"We're friends," she had a feeling he was going to ask. How could he not though? They seemed close, and they were, just not in that way. "I've known him for four years, and we are just friends."

Lucas mentally kicked himself. "Sorry. I know it's not my business. Josh was just...talking about it earlier."

Riley frowned. "You know Josh..."

"I know he was trying to get under my skin."

"Get under your skin?"

"Yeah...he was trying to make me feel jealous." _'And it worked.'_

She looked up at him. "Were you?"

"Not at first...but I saw you two kid around after the show and...I don't know. I'm sorry. I know I have no right to be..."

"Oh," she tried to dismiss it, "It's fine. No harm."

They were silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Although it might be too soon, Lucas didn't care. He had to ask her something. "Riley?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I..." he looked over at Josh and Maya briefly to make sure they were still asleep. He didn't want an audience for this. He turned back to Riley. "Riley, I know we haven't talk about...well...I tried to ask you...I know you're busy...I just..." he took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. If he couldn't even get the words out, how did he expect her to answer him? "Riley, I really like you. I like being around you...even when we are just studying chemistry."

"I like you too, Lucas."

Her smile was all the encouragement he needed. "Riley Matthews, will you be my girlfriend?"

She wasn't expecting that. She hadn't even dared to dream that it was within the realm of possibility for them yet. As she thought about it, she also thought about everything that it would entail. She worried that it was too soon, that her hectic life would eventually separate them, but as she looked into his eyes, all of her concerns melted away. This felt right. She had to see where this lead. She owed that to herself. "Yes."

It took Lucas a moment to process her answer. When he did, he grinned at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "Absolutely."

He leaned in to kiss her.

Maya's eyes opened just as they kissed. "Get a room," she groaned before she snuggled in closer to Josh.


	9. Chapter Eight

_**A/N: Sorry for the small wait, I was too distracted about the writers' Q &A Friday night. Let me tell you, I am pumped for the second half of the season. Rucas, guys. It's still alive.**_

 _ **Jillbean2002, I think that feeling never goes away. I loved being on that stage. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**_

 _ **Jazzybeardancer, so many dancers/former dancers are reading this! No pressure for me, right? Haha…hope you continue to enjoy it!**_

 _ **Shapeshifter1947, so glad you found me on Twitter! My goal is to make sure you don't lose hope. :)**_

 _ **Madisons15694, Joshaya is coming. Rucas needed to be set up first. You'll see soon. :)**_

 _ **Everyone, you guys are awesome. Stick with the show, stick with the ship. MJ knows what he is doing. And conflict is coming in this story…like…the next chapter. You guys know I love the drama.**_

* * *

Chapter Eight

One month later...

"Relaxing in the park on Sunday afternoon with my girlfriend," Lucas smiled as he lay on the blanket and looked up at the sky. "I could definitely get used to this."

Riley glanced over at him before she turned to look back up at the crystal blue sky. "Don't get too used to it. You know I normally don't rest on Sundays."

He rolled over on his side. "I'll take what I can get." He ran his hand along the blades of the grass as they fell into a comfortable silence. His eyes found his way to her face. He watched her for a moment before he broke their silence. "I have a question."

She looked over at him. "What is it?"

"It's about your 'Romeo and Juliet' piece with Charlie."

"Lucas," she moved to sit up, "it's just acting."

He shook his head. Even though he wasn't thrilled at the thought of Riley kissing Charlie, he was mature enough to recognize that it wasn't real. He knew how Riley felt about Charlie, but even more, he knew how Riley felt about him. "Not that. The lifts...how hard are they to do?"

Riley was caught off guard by his question. Lifts? She wasn't sure where he was headed with this. "Harder than you think. It took me two years just to trust Charlie with them. Even then it took another year, and a lot of bumps and bruises."

"Oh." Lucas thought about it for a moment. "I bet I could do it."

Riley chucked as she moved to lie back down. "Oh, I'm sure."

Lucas gave her a sly smile. How hard could it be? Lucas knew he had plenty of arm strength, and Riley was as light as a feather. "Nah, I'm serious."

She looked over at him as her laughter faded. "Lucas, it takes a lot of work."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yeah..." He couldn't possibly be serious about this.

"Let's try it."

She sat up again. "You're serious." Lifts were one of the hardest things Charlie had ever learned, and now her boyfriend was convinced he could do it? Maybe this was an ego thing?

"Yeah...come on." He stood up, and then offered his hand to help her stand up. "Go over there and run toward me, and I'll lift you."

"This is so 'Dirty Dancing'," she laughed.

"What?"

"You've never seen 'Dirty Dancing'?"

"I'm a guy, Riley. I don't normally watch chick flicks."

She shook her head. "Ok. You're missing out, but…ok." Even Josh, who would never admit it, loved that movie.

"Now go over there. When I tell you 'go', run toward me. I promise you won't get hurt."

"You're sure?" Was she actually going to do this? What were the odds that one, if not both, of them would get hurt?

"Yes. This is grass anyway...we'll be fine."

"Ok..." she walked about 50 feet away from him. She took a deep breath as she turned to face him. Was she really about to do this? It took her and Charlie nearly four years to get lifts down and she was going to trust Lucas to get it on the first try without dropping her or even watching 'Dirty Dancing'? She looked over at him and knew that, without a single doubt in her mind, she trusted him.

Lucas positioned himself. "Go," he called over to her.

"Here it goes," she said softly before she ran towards him. She held her breath and closed her eyes as she leapt into his arms. She expected to collide with the earth, but instead she felt the breeze underneath her. She opened her eyes and looked around. She couldn't believe it. She was up in the air, above him. She looked down. "Oh my God," she breathed.

He laughed as he slowly brought her down in front of him. "Told you," he said as her feet hit the ground. He kept his hands on her waist as he looked into her eyes. He swallowed. She was so beautiful, but it wasn't just her looks. It was who she was. She was the smartest person he knew, even taking into her account her animosity for chemistry. She was driven, motivated. She was the type of person who would never give up on anyone or anything. His felt his heart pound in his chest as he gazed into her eyes. He swallowed again.

"Ok, you got me. I'm impressed." Riley wondered what he was thinking has he gazed at her. His look was intense, but Riley wasn't anxious, shy, or scared. She was curious, excited. She wanted to know what was on his mind, but she also didn't want to pry him for information he didn't want to share or wasn't ready to share.

"I'm full of surprises."

"Oh really?" She snaked her arms around his neck.

He nodded. "Oh yeah," he wrapped his arms around her fully as he leaned down to kiss her gently.

* * *

Maya and Josh both thought they were going to throw up. Here they were, trying to eat like civilized human beings, meanwhile the couple across from him acted all giggly and lovey dovey. When he started to whisper in her ear, Maya had enough. "Stop," she begged. "We are trying to eat here!"

"Come on, Maya," Riley giggled as Lucas ignored Maya and kept whispering in her ear, "You and Josh practically make out in front of everyone every day."

"We aren't that gross," Maya defended. "We aren't all giggly, and we don't look stupidly at each other."

"Oh please," Riley rolled her eyes.

"Dude, she's my sister," Josh told Lucas. "I'm happy you guys are together, but come on. We're trying to eat."

"Fine," Riley huffed as she slid away from Lucas and turned to face her uneaten tray of food. She picked up her fork and began to push around the lettuce on her plate.

As soon as Lucas took a bite of his sandwich, Riley's dad popped his head in between them. "Hiya," he grinned.

Riley groaned as she sat her fork down. Not again. "Dad...please."

Lucas swallowed the food that was in his mouth. "Mr. Matthews, I-"

"Mr. Friar," Cory turned to look at him, "I'm only going to say this once..." he glanced over at Riley and back at Lucas, "You make her happy. That makes me happy. If you make her unhappy, I will be unhappy. You don't want me to be unhappy. Understood?"

Maya laughed. "You know you aren't intimidating at all, right?"

Cory looked at Maya. "Miss Hart, I look forward to reading your paper on Benjamin Franklin." He smirked at the group before he walked away.

Maya leaned in. "What paper? I didn't know there was a paper."

"He was joking," Riley told her. She looked at her boyfriend. "I'm sorry about that." She loved her father, she really did, but he was too over-protective of her. The curse of being his only daughter.

Lucas smiled at her. "I'm not."

"Why?"

"Because now I know that he definitely likes me." He grinned. "Are you coming to the game tonight?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry; I don't think I'll be able to make it. I have to work on some stuff after class."

"Come on Riles," Josh groaned. "You have all weekend for that."

She turned to her brother. "And I'll be doing it all weekend, but tonight is the only night Charlie can practice. He's going out of town this weekend so we can't meet up Saturday afternoon like we usually do. It has to be tonight."

"What about the party," Maya asked as she bit into her apple.

"I feel like I'll barely be able to walk after. Why don't you guys go and have fun?" She looked at all of them before she turned to address Lucas. "I'll make it up to you. I'll definitely be at the next game."

Lucas looked over at Josh who smirked at him. Lucas smiled as he faced Riley once more. "You promise?"

She nodded. "Absolutely."

Lucas looked over at his best friend. "Hey Josh...when's our next game?"

"Next Friday, I think," Josh told him as he played along with him.

Riley nodded. "Friday works."

"It's in Philly," Josh laughed.

"What?!" She looked around the table. "Ok, you guys can't be serious."

"Oh, we are," Josh laughed. "Mom, dad, and Auggie are going for the whole weekend to see grandma and grandpa. Now it looks like you're going too."

"No, Josh, I can't. I have-"

"A promise is a promise, Riles," Maya grinned. "You need a break too. Come on. A whole weekend out of town. A whole weekend to act like a normal teenager."

"You're going," Riley asked her.

"As long as you are," she told her. "And Josh already asked your mom if Lucas can stay with your grandparents too since he's never been to Philly."

Riley turned to him. "You set me up."

Lucas chuckled. "It was Josh's idea, I swear."

* * *

"How was it," Riley asked Maya over the phone as she sat her dance bag on the floor. She was exhausted, but had a great practice with Charlie. They worked on 'Romeo and Juliet' a little more, but also were able to show one another the routines they were working on for their auditions. Charlie was able to help Riley develop her choreography, and Riley was able to help Charlie sharpen his technique. It took hours, but it was well worth it. Riley almost felt prepared about her upcoming audition for ABT's summer intensive program.

"They won, of course. We're getting ready to go over to Billy's house. Are you kidding me," she yelled.

Riley walked past her mirror, paused for a moment, then walked back to it. She looked at herself: first her arms, then her stomach, then her hips and thighs. She turned to look at her backside. "What's going on?"

"Freakin' Missy Bradford."

Riley shook her head and walked toward her dresser. "What poor boy does she have cornered now?" She pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a tank top.

"Uhh..."

"Maya?" Riley tossed the clothes on her bed. She placed her hand on her hip as she waited for her best friend to answer her.

"She's talking to Lucas. He doesn't look like he's enjoying it. Yeah, he's trying to walk away. Lucas!" Maya tried to wave him over. "Ok, Missy walked away."

Riley moved to sit on her bed. Missy Bradford was perfection. Anyone with eyes could see that. It was no secret that she liked Lucas. "Why can't she just get a boyfriend and leave ours alone?"

Maya laughed. "Seriously. Wanna talk to your boy? He and Josh are finally heading over."

Riley stood back up and walked over to her mirror again. "No, that's fine. You guys have fun. I'm just going to crash."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." After getting off the phone with Maya, Riley sat her phone on her bed. She turned back to face the mirror. She tilted her chin up slightly before lowering it. She repeated the motion. She ran a hand through her hair as she snapped herself out of her daze.

* * *

She couldn't sleep. She turned her stereo on. That didn't help. She tossed and turned. Nothing worked. She knew the source: Lucas. More specifically, it was Lucas and Missy. She knew Maya would keep an eye on things, but still...Riley wasn't sure how to react. This was new territory for her. Should she just go to the party? No. She trusted Lucas. But Missy usually got what she wanted, aside from her brother. Riley sat up and pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She brought her knees to her chest. This was ridiculous. She had too much to do this weekend. She didn't have time to be jealous.

Her eyes widened when she heard a knock against her bay window. She looked around her room for a weapon. The only thing she saw was her laptop. She unplugged it and slowly walked over to the window. She bent down and moved the curtain. She shrieked before she saw who it was. Her heart racing, she sat the laptop on the window seat before she opened the window. "Lucas? What are you doing here? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He chuckled as he gestured to her computer. "You were going to hit me with your laptop?"

"It was a split second decision," she laughed. "The laptop was the only thing I saw that could do some damage." She walked over to her nightstand to turn her lamp on. She turned to face him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at the party with Maya and Josh?"

Lucas shrugged. "I thought about it, but I knew Maya and Josh would be too preoccupied with each other and like I told you before, I'm not into parties. I was just going to go home, but your place was on the way, so I figured I would see if you were still up. When I saw you sitting on your bed, I knocked on the window."

Riley nodded. "Yeah, I was having trouble sleeping."

"Why?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's not important."

He frowned. Something definitely seemed to be bothering her. "It is to me. You are...to me."

"Seriously, it's not a big deal. So," she slid her laptop out of the way and sat in the window. "Tell me about the game."

He moved to sit next to her. "You didn't miss much."

"Maya told me you guys won."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are you acting sheepish around me, Friar," she teased. "I thought you liked to brag about your football skills."

He chuckled. "Something like that."

They fell silent. Riley bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't want to keep this from him, her feelings of insecurity. She wanted to talk to him about Missy, but the only way she knew to bring it up was to just...bring it up. "Maya also told me that Missy cornered you."

Lucas sighed. "Pretty much. It's another reason I didn't go to the party. She's...intense."

"A lot of guys seem to like that."

He looked over at her. "Not me."

Riley raised an eyebrow at him. "No?"

He smiled. "I prefer a little mystery."

"Mystery?"

He inched closer to her. "I like the chase."

"The chase?"

He slid even closer to her. "Oh yeah. Unless I have to beg for a date, I'm just not interested."

Riley laughed. "It's a good thing I didn't say yes immediately, huh?" She leaned in closer to him.

"Definitely," he told her gently before he captured her lips with his own.

Riley was amazed. She figured that once she got used to kissing that the spark she felt whenever they touched would go away. She thought that she wouldn't feel like she was floating in space anymore. She thought that she would just be there, kissing her boyfriend. That hadn't happened yet. If anything, those feelings kept intensifying. She felt like she was becoming addicted to him, which thrilled her and terrified her at the same time. She had read enough stories to know what it all meant. That excited her and scared her as well. She had nothing to compare him to, no one to compare him to. Was this normal? Did everyone feel this way about the person they were with? Her head spun as she tried to figure it out. His voice shook her out of her reverie.

"Riley," he said again, his voice soft, barely above a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Maybe it's too soon, maybe I shouldn't, but I can't not say it." His heart was racing. Logically, he knew he should wait. It was too soon, but he couldn't help it.

Riley fell back to earth. He looked worried. Was he going to break up with her? That kiss was just a goodbye? He was leaving her for someone much more interesting? "What," she asked weakly as she tried to brace herself for the blow. Just as she was fully giving into what she felt for him, he was going to break up with her.

"Riley," he took her hands into his own as he gazed into her eyes. "I-I love you." He paused. When she didn't say anything, he continued, "I know it's too soon. I know we've only been together for a month, but I can't help it. I think that I fell in love with you the moment I saw you dancing in here," he looked over at the spot where she stood when he walked in on her and she immediately entered his heart. "I've never felt this way about anyone before," he turned to look back at her. "I don't expect you to say anything and don't think that I'm trying to pressure you into something that you aren't ready for, but I couldn't keep it in anymore."

Riley's head spun. He loved her? Her...Riley? This Greek god that sat in front of her was in love with her? Love. Riley had never been in love before. Was this it? The butterflies, the way her heart skipped a beat and she had to catch her breath whenever she saw him, the way she found herself daydreaming about him in dance class? She thought he would be nothing but a distraction, but he actually inspired her to be better. She felt herself dance with the emotion that she previously lacked. He had opened up the emotional side of her, the side that for whatever reason, she held back from most people. He made her happy, made her smile. She looked forward to seeing him, to hearing from him. He seemed to fully support her pursuit of her dreams. He encouraged her. She looked forward to just being around him, even if it was to study chemistry. He even accomplished the impossible: she actually looked forward to studying chemistry. She cut her eyes to him. "Lucas?"

Lucas could've kicked himself right then and there. He knew it was too soon. "Riley, I'm sorry. I know it was too soon. I just-"

"I love you too," she said quietly.

It took Lucas a moment to process it. "You do?"

She nodded as tears formed in her eyes. "I didn't know what it was. I've never come close to feeling like this about anyone, so I didn't know, but I...you know I love to read. And to read the way it's described...the feelings, the emotions...everything...it honestly doesn't even compare...to how I feel. I know this is love."

Lucas lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. "I've never felt this way either, Riley. I can't imagine ever feeling like this with anyone else."

Cloud nine. That's where Riley and Lucas both resided in that moment. They both felt like the world could end and it wouldn't matter, they would still be with one another—still love one another. They felt as if they could face the world together. No matter what life threw at them, they could handle it, survive it, together.

In that beautiful, perfect moment, they were together, and the world seemed to stop spinning for just one moment to let them bathe in the light of their newly professed love.


	10. Chapter Nine

_**A/N: Sorry for the slight delay, I took a few days off to reflect a little on the direction of this story. Also, I'm sorry for not responding to some of the reviews posted this time, I'm just anxious to get this out to you guys.**_

* * *

Chapter Nine

"Dad," Riley put her hands on her hips.

"Cory," Topanga warned.

"Mr. Matthews," Maya sighed.

"What," he asked as he looked at the girls.

"Get out of the car," Topanga told him as she walked to the passenger's side door.

Cory looked around him. "I just thought we could do boys in one car, girls in the other."

"Mom," Riley looked at her mom. Surely her mom would see the ridiculousness in this. Riley and Maya had planned all along for them to ride to Philadelphia with Josh and Lucas. Just the four of them, a mini road trip. Bonding time. And now her father sat square in the passenger's seat of Lucas's Jeep.

Topanga looked at her husband and back at the impatient girls as she considered it. She knew that her daughter was looking forward to making the trip with her boyfriend, but there was something to be said about having some quality time with Maya and her. She couldn't remember the last time she had a conversation with her daughter that didn't have to do with school or dance. She looked over at Josh. "What do you think? You think he can behave?"

Josh considered it for a moment. He really wanted to do the road trip thing with the girls, but he couldn't remember the last time he, his dad, and Auggie had a guys' trip. Now with Lucas around, Josh was sure it could get very interesting. Besides, they had all weekend to hang out with the girls. "Let's do it."

Topanga looked to the other side of the car. She wanted to make sure that Lucas was going to be ok with this as well. It was his car. "Are you going to be ok to drive with my husband in the car, Lucas?"

He nodded. "Absolutely, Mrs. Matthews." Of course, he wanted the girls to ride with Josh and him, but he also saw the potential to bond with Mr. Matthews. Lucas knew that Cory liked him, but he wanted Cory to be comfortable with him dating his daughter, well, as comfortable as he could be.

Topanga turned to the girls. Clearly, they were outvoted. "Come on girls."

Riley mouthed 'sorry' to Lucas as she walked backwards towards her mother's car. She and Maya exchanged glances before Riley piled into the passenger side and Maya slid into the backseat. After she buckled her seatbelt, Riley watched the guys pile into Lucas's parents' Jeep.

* * *

The first ten minutes of the ride in the girls' car was quiet. Riley was curious as to what was going on in the guys' car, Maya was texting Josh, and Topanga was trying to stay focused on trying to get out of the city. Once they hit the highway, Topanga relaxed. "So, Riley, how are things going with you and Lucas? You seem...close."

"Mom," Riley looked beside her. "Did you and dad switch bodies?"

"It's just us," Topanga told her. "When was our last heart-to-heart conversation? And just to let you know, your father got serious with me almost immediately. He told me he loved me when we were barely a month in." She'll never forget it. Topanga wasn't ready to hear it, and they nearly broke up when he climbed into her room to get his jean jacket back. She was so scared to admit how she felt, but she also was even more scared to lose him. Topanga remembered the moment she put herself out there and she never looked back. Of course, it wasn't always smooth sailing between them, but that love was always there.

"Must run in the family," Maya mumbled. Her eyes grew big when she realized that she said it out loud. She crouched down further into her seat as she stared at her phone.

"Maya," Riley shrieked.

Topanga raised an eyebrow. "Spill."

"Well," Maya began as she moved to sit back up, "Josh told me he loved me after a few months...and Riley here declared her love for Lucas after a month." Maya didn't care if Topanga knew. She had known her for most of her life. Topanga was like a mother to her. She wanted to be able to speak with her as a woman and be able to get advice from her and learn from her. Maya looked up to the relationship that Cory and Topanga had. She wanted to have something similar one day. She was beginning to think that although they were very different, that she and Josh were a lot like his parents.

"You did," Topanga beamed. She glanced over at her daughter. "Now, you have to tell me the whole story."

"Mom," Riley whined. She couldn't believe her best friend just told her mother about her love life. Even the thought of having a love life was brand new for Riley. She wasn't sure how to process having her mother know about it.

"Come on," Topanga continued to smile, "You know I think the world of him. Tell me all about it." Topanga definitely approved of Lucas, but what mother wouldn't? He had perfect manners. He even asked for permission to ask Riley out. He helped Josh and Riley with homework, always made sure Riley was home before curfew, and genuinely seemed to care about her happiness. Cory told her about Lucas's past, but Topanga didn't care. She only believed what she saw, and she saw someone who was definitely worthy of her daughter's love.

Riley debated it for a moment. She wanted to be close with her mom. Her mom seemed to always be the one who understood what she was going through. Granted, she was a woman, so naturally, her mother would understand most of the changes Riley faced, but still, Riley knew that she wanted to have a deeper connection with her mother. "You can't tell dad. I mean it."

"Promise."

Riley took a deep breath. "Well, he snuck into my room one night-"

"What?!" Topanga sounded harsher than she intended. Honestly, she was more surprised than anything. It sounded just like her and Cory. At the same time, that was her daughter and a boy did climb into her bedroom at night.

"Mom..."

"Sorry." Topanga knew she had to remain calm in order to be able to have this conversation with her daughter. She felt like she knew Lucas well enough to know he wouldn't try anything. She definitely knew her daughter well enough to know she wouldn't allow anything like that.

"Instead of going out with Josh and Maya, he wanted to see me. Anyway, we talked for a few minutes and then he told me that he loved me." She turned to look at the road that stretched out before them as she remembered one of the most incredible moments in her life. "I thought about it for a moment. I had felt something for him ever since I met him, but I never tried to put all the pieces together. I realized that I loved him too...and it doesn't feel like the puppy love kind. Mom," she turned to look at her mom, "I really love him. I'm in love with him. It's scary and exciting and nauseating all at once. I've never been so happy or so scared in my life."

Topanga nodded as a smile formed at the corners of her mouth. "Sounds a lot like love to me, sweetie," she cleared her throat. "You two haven't...uh...well..."

"Mom," Riley shrieked. "No...Absolutely not. Only first base stuff."

Maya giggled.

Riley turned around in her seat. "What about you, Miss Hart? How far have you and Josh gone?"

Maya stopped laughing. She ran a hand through her hair. "We've been together longer. And we haven't done much more than you guys. You know that." _'Thanks a lot, Riles,'_ she thought as she looked over at Topanga.

"I'm just doing the motherly thing," Topanga told them. "That's all I'm going to say on it. I won't tell your father, I promise."

Riley turned to sit back in her seat. They were silent for a few minutes. Riley was afraid to ask her next question, but while they were having 'girl talk', she had to know. "Does dad like him?"

Topanga glanced at her daughter before she looked back at the road. "Riley, he loves Lucas. I think that's one reason he's going crazy about all of this. He sees us in you guys."

Riley frowned. That seemed a like a lot to live up to. "But we aren't you guys. We haven't known each other forever. We may not even be together forever. Our story hasn't been completely written yet."

"No one couple is like any other couple. Every couple has their own journey. What I meant was that he sees the way you look at each other. It's the same way he and I look at one another. He knows it's real between you guys."

"What about Josh and me?"

Topanga chuckled as she glanced in the rearview mirror to look at Maya. "We called that one the day the three of you met in the park."

* * *

The conversation didn't flow as smoothly in the guys' car. Lucas kept his eyes on the road, his normally cool reserve slowly dissipating as he felt Cory's eyes on him. He glanced in the rear view mirror to try to get Josh's attention to say something...anything...but Josh was completely oblivious as he texted Maya in the backseat. Lucas glanced back to where Auggie sat. He realized quickly that he was asleep and wouldn't be any help either in starting any sort of conversation. When he heard Josh chuckle, Lucas found his 'in'. "What's so funny?"

Josh smiled as he typed in a response. "Oh, nothing. Maya was just telling me what the girls were talking about."

"Oh, yeah? What are they talking about?" Lucas was desperate. Anything to cut the tension he felt from the right side of the car.

"You," he chuckled.

"What?" Cory looked back at his eldest child. "What are they saying?"

Josh's smile faded as he saw the serious look on his father's face. "Oh...um...just talking about dating and that kind of thing, dad."

The car fell silent again. So much for conversation, Lucas mused. He had to think of something. He wanted to bond with Cory, not just because he was his girlfriend's father. He genuinely liked the guy. His class was the most interesting class he had, and that was saying a lot considering it was history class. "So, Mr. Matthews..."

"Yes?"

"You're a Phillies fan, right?"

* * *

Even though Riley enjoyed the trip with her mom and Maya, she was grateful when they reached her grandparents' house. She was worried that her dad had scared Lucas away, or some catastrophe had happened in the other vehicle. When she saw all of the guys laughing as they got out of the vehicle, she relaxed. Of course Lucas would win her dad over. He was the very definition of charismatic.

"Good trip," she asked when the guys walked over to Topanga's vehicle to help unload the bags.

"It was great," Josh told her as he leaned in the backseat to grab some of the luggage. "We talked baseball the whole way."

"The whole way," Topanga asked as Cory walked up to her.

"Absolutely," he smiled before he kissed her sweetly. "You know, Lucas might not be that bad, after all."

"You don't say," Topanga grinned.

"Well," Riley turned to face her boyfriend, "You certainly won him over."

"Won him over or wore him down. I'll take what I can get," he smiled. He genuinely enjoyed talking about baseball with Josh and him. Neither of them knew that Lucas was also on the baseball team at his old school. Lucas loved how the two sports were during different times of the year. He didn't have to choose which one he would participate in. He told both of them that he planned to try out for the baseball team for the spring season. Cory, in particular, seemed impressed by it.

"I thought I heard someone pull up," a voice said from behind them.

"Grandpa," Riley, Josh, and Auggie said in unison as they sprinted to see him.

Alan Matthews smiled as he hugged his three grandchildren at the same time. "Hey kids," he told them. "I'm so glad you're all here."

"It took some convincing for Riley," Josh told him.

Alan raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, Riley? Didn't want to see us?"

Riley's eyes grew big. The last thing in the world she wanted was for her grandfather to think she didn't want to see him. "It's not that. I've just been busy with dance. You know I have one of my auditions coming up."

His eyes twinkled as he hugged her. "Oh, I know, I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm sure you don't get enough of those at home."

Riley laughed. "Something like that." She walked with him over to where Maya and Lucas stood.

"Maya," Alan greeted as he hugged the blonde.

"Hey Mr. Matthews," Maya smiled. She loved Riley's grandparents. They were amazing people who always treated her like a member of the family, and always had the best stories about Josh and Riley's family.

"I told you to call me Alan, Maya. Mr. Matthews is your teacher," he gestured in Cory's direction.

"Don't remind me," she groaned before winking at Alan.

Riley chuckled. "Grandpa, this is Lucas Friar."

Alan stuck out his hand as Lucas shook it. "It's nice to meet you, sir," Lucas told him.

"It's nice to meet you too, Lucas. Josh told me you're the star quarterback this year."

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Something like that."

"Don't be modest," Josh told him. "He's amazing, grandpa."

"Amazing, huh?"

"Don't take my word for it. Ask Riley. She's dating him."

Riley smacked her brother's arm. "Thanks, Josh."

Alan chuckled. "I already knew, Riley. Your dad told me."

"Oh." She looked over at her father before looking back at her grandfather. "Don't believe a word he says," she told him as she slowly shook her head.

* * *

Riley shivered as she sat in the stands with most of her family. It was unusually cold that October evening. She leaned in closer to Maya, who seemed to be hogging the blanket draped over both of them. She watched as her mother and grandmother walked up the bleachers as they tried to juggle all the food they carried in their arms.

"Ok," her grandmother, Amy, began, "Who wants a hot dog?"

"We have hotdogs, nachos, popcorn, fries," Topanga told the small crowd, "Cory is coming up with the drinks."

"Hotdog and popcorn for me," Maya spoke up.

"Nachos," Auggie told them.

"Hotdog and fries," Alan said.

After Topanga helped Amy give the items to the others, she turned to her daughter. "Riley? I know you love cheese fries."

Riley waved her hand. "I'm not hungry, mom."

Topanga furrowed her brow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she turned to face the field, "I'm just...nervous."

"Riley," Maya warned. Not this again.

Riley turned to face Maya. "I'm just anxious about the game, Maya." She looked over at her mother. "I might get something at halftime."

"Ok, sweetie," Topanga said as she and her mother-in-law moved to sit behind them in the stands.

Maya stared at Riley for a long moment. "We're talking about this later."

"There is nothing to talk about," Riley assured her. She watched as her dad made her way to the stands.

"Who wants what? I have hot chocolate, Riley. Your favorite."

She shook her head. "I'm good right now, dad. Thanks."

"But...it's your favorite," he sputtered.

"I'm just anxious dad. Maybe at halftime," she smiled.

* * *

"Wow," Alan said as he watched the game, "Lucas can really play."

"I told you," Cory said as they watched Lucas float the ball to one of the other receivers for a first down.

Riley turned her head to them. "What all have you told grandpa about him, dad?"

Cory gave her a smile. "Just the truth, sweetie."

Riley turned back to the field just as the next play began. She watched as Lucas threw the ball to Josh who dodged three tackles before taking off down the field. "Go," she started to yell. The whole visitor's side was on their feet as they cheered Josh as he ran toward the end zone. When he made it, the visitor's side erupted in cheers.

"That's my boyfriend," Maya yelled. As she jumped, the popcorn she held spilled all over the ground.

"That was awesome," Auggie told his father.

Riley grinned as she watched the team celebrate on the sidelines. She saw Lucas and Josh turn to face them. She glanced at Maya just as she mouthed 'I love you' to Josh. She turned back to her brother to see him mouth the same thing. Though incredibly weird at first, she was glad that her brother and her best friend had found love with one another. They were perfect together.

She looked over at Lucas who smiled at her. She smiled back, though she knew the smile never quite reached her eyes. At that moment, she knew she had to talk to him. She had to share a part of herself that even Maya didn't know or understand. She wasn't sure when or how, but Riley knew it had to be sooner rather than later. She wanted him to know her, the real her.

* * *

"You're never getting away with it," Riley told Maya as the girls brushed their teeth.

"Oh, I so am," Maya grinned. "Don't you want to cuddle up to Ranger Rick tonight?"

Riley considered it for a moment. The thought of falling asleep next to Lucas was appealing, but there was also a huge obstacle that stood in between them. "What about Auggie?"

Maya thought for a moment. "You think we could bribe him?"

"And have him blackmail us about it until we're out of college? Yeah, right," Riley scoffed as she continued to brush her teeth. She leaned forward to spit out some toothpaste.

"What was up with not eating tonight," Maya asked her.

Riley sighed. She knew this was coming. "I was just anxious. Not a big deal."

"Riley," Maya warned.

"We'll talk when we get home and don't have so many people around, ok," Riley knew it was the quickest way to get Maya to drop it. She looked at her friend who just stared back at her. "I'm fine, ok? But if you want, we will talk about it."

"Fine," she huffed, "But we will talk about it when we get back into the city."

"Promise," Riley told her. She spit out the remaining toothpaste in her mouth. "So, are you sneaking into Josh's bed or are you cuddling with me tonight?"

Maya laughed. "As much as I love your brother, how could I refuse an offer like that?" She linked arms with Riley as they walked back into Riley's Aunt Morgan's old room.

* * *

"Auggie is so going to tell your parents," Lucas told Josh as he watched his friend dab a little cologne on his neck.

"Nah, Auggie is my buddy. He won't tell on us."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Us?"

"You aren't coming?"

"Josh, we are in your grandparents' house. I just met them. I'm not about to bed hop." Lucas had worked very hard to get Cory to like him, he wasn't about to risk all that to sneak in the girls' room.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." Josh reached for the door handle. As he opened the door, he came face to face with his father. "D-Dad," he stuttered, "What's up?"

Cory moved to come into the room. "Going somewhere, Josh?"

"Uh, n-no," he said as he closed the door and walked over to one of the twin beds in the room. "I was just going to...going to..." he looked over at Lucas for help.

All Lucas did was shrug. He wasn't about to help Josh out with this. Not after Josh made it as uncomfortable as possible to ask Cory permission to go out on a date with Riley.

"Get a drink of water," Josh finally said.

"Uh huh," Cory said, not convinced at all about his son's intentions. "We are at my parents' house. They never let Eric or me get away with anything under this roof. I'm not about to let you get away with it."

Josh thought he was going to be sick. "Ugh...dad...really...I don't want to hear about what you tried to pull with mom when you were my age."

"Well, you'd be impressed," he looked at his nails.

"Really," Lucas asked him skeptically.

"No," he grumbled. "Look, I know how it is. Teenage hormones and whatnot, but no." He looked back and forth between the two guys. "Both of you. No. If I find out there has been some bed hopping going on, I will kill you both."

"Sir, I wasn't going to-"

"Lucas, I know." He looked over at his son. "I just felt it needed to be said since my son didn't get the first memo."

Josh looked sheepishly at his dad. "We weren't going to do anything."

"Oh, I know that. But now I know the temptation wouldn't be there." He moved toward the door. He opened it to reveal Auggie. "I've got my super spy on it."

Josh looked at his younger brother. "I thought you were too old for that."

Auggie shrugged as he moved to the pallet on the floor. "Dad gave me $20 to keep an eye on you two."

Lucas laughed while Josh groaned. This weekend was not going as Josh hoped it would.

* * *

The next day, they all went to see Independence Hall, checked out the Liberty Bell Center, the Philadelphia Zoo, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum. After an incredible day touring the city, the whole family was exhausted. Most of them went to bed as soon as they got back to the house around 8. Riley had too much on her mind to crash. When she noticed that Lucas wasn't going up to bed with Auggie and Josh, she asked him if he wouldn't mind going somewhere with her to talk.

She led him to the side of the house. When he looked at her quizzically, she pointed up. Lucas looked up and saw a treehouse. He watched as she began to climb the steps that led to it. He followed her; curious as to why she brought him here to talk.

"I'm sorry to make you drive me back before everyone else leaves tomorrow," she said once they settled into her dad's old treehouse.

"That's fine. It's only a few hours early anyway, Riley. We know that you have practice tomorrow. I'm just glad you were able to come at all." He looked around the treehouse. "This is cool."

"Yeah. Grandpa, my uncle Eric, and my dad built this when dad was young. Josh and I used to play in it every time we visited. It's one of my favorite places in the world." It seemed childish, but Riley had a lot of happy memories in this treehouse. It reminded her so much of her childhood, back when everything was a lot simpler.

Lucas looked at her for a moment. "Thank you for sharing it with me."

"No problem." She looked around it for a moment. "Lucas, I...I want you to know who I am. The real me." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She wasn't sure where to begin with this, but it had gotten to the point where she wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him who she really was, not the person she had pretended to be. She wanted to tell him about all of her insecurities, her fears. She wanted to tell him that she needed help, that she wasn't as put together as everyone seemed to think. She took a deep breath.

"Well, I'm all ears. I do feel like I know you though."

Riley furrowed her brows. "You do?"

"Yeah. You're Riley Matthews. Your biggest dream is to dance professionally, preferably with the New York ballet. You love school, with the exception of chemistry. You're kind and caring to everyone you come across. You aren't a fan of parties. You're smarter than you think. You are a fan of classic literature, your favorite being The Great Gatsby. You love both of your parents equally, but you have a stronger connection with your father even though you try really hard to hide it. Maya is your best friend now, but growing up, Josh and you were inseparable. You know exactly who you are and what you want from life. You aren't afraid to go for your dreams. You'd never give up on anyone or anything. No sacrifice is too big for your friends. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met."

Riley swallowed harshly. A pedestal. That's what he had her on. One look into his eyes and Riley couldn't do it. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't be honest with him. In his eyes, she was perfect. As now she was petrified of the thought of him seeing her as anything less. She averted her eyes from his and glanced once more around the treehouse. "Yeah, a lot of memories in this old treehouse."

Lucas frowned. "Is something wrong? Did I say something to upset you?"

Riley shook her head as she glanced at her parents' initials carved into the side of the door frame. She reached over and slowly outlined them with her hand. After she finished, she dropped her hand and turned to him. "No," she lied. "You didn't say anything wrong."

He noticed her change in demeanor, but didn't want to press too hard. "You know I'm here, right? If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm here to listen. I love you, Riley."

She gave him a small smile as she reached for his hand. "I love you too."

* * *

"Call when you get home," Topanga told her as she gave her a hug. "Don't work too hard, ok?"

"I won't, mom. I'm just anxious to get a little studio time in this weekend." She turned to her brother. "Thanks for making me come, Josh. I definitely enjoyed watching you score that touchdown."

"I did it for you, Riles. Had to make the trip worthwhile for you," he chuckled.

Riley hugged Maya. "Love you," she told her.

Maya leaned back from the hug. "Love you. We'll talk when we get back."

Riley nodded. She knew exactly what Maya wanted to talk about. Riley hugged Auggie. "See you tonight, Aug."

"Bye, Riley. Have fun in class."

Riley hugged both of her grandparents. "I can't wait to see you guys in a few weeks for Thanksgiving."

"Make sure you bring your appetite," Amy told her, "and maybe earplugs. Everyone is going to be here."

"Everyone," Riley raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Crowded house."

"Absolutely," Alan told her. He looked over to Lucas. "Lucas, you are more than welcome to come as well."

"Definitely," Amy told him as she gave him a hug. "We would love to have you."

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, but I'll be heading to Texas for Thanksgiving."

"Christmas then. We usually get together the week before," Amy told him.

He smiled at her. "I would love to."

"Good, it's settled then," Alan said as he shook Lucas's hand. "It was nice to meet you, Lucas."

"Thank you, sir. It was nice to meet you both."

* * *

Riley chuckled at him as they backed out of the driveway.

"What's so funny," he asked her.

"You have no idea what you just signed up for."

"What are you talking about?"

"Christmas at grandpa and grandma's house...it's insane." Some of her family's traditions were a little...unique, especially when they involved her Uncle Eric. Riley was a little unsure of introducing Lucas to her Uncle Eric at Christmas, but Riley knew Lucas had a good sense of humor. She was sure he could handle it.

He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "I can't wait then."

They were silent for a while as they made their way toward the highway. "I had a great weekend," she told him as she looked out the window. "I'm glad you guys tricked me into going. I needed this."

"I'm glad you came too. I'm glad I got to meet some more of your family." He pulled up to a stop light and looked over at her. She was looking down at her hands as she spoke. He knew that something had been on her mind since the previous night. The last thing he wanted to do was to push her, but he could feel her pulling away from him emotionally. He wasn't sure how to get her back.

Riley looked over at him. "They love you. But I think most people do. You're like 'Mr. Perfect' or something." He was the picture of high school perfection. Quarterback. Popular. Handsome. Smart. Kind. The entire package. Everything any girl would want in a guy.

He laughed nervously as the light turned green. He slowly began to accelerate. "Riley, about that-"

Lucas never finished his statement. If he did, Riley didn't hear it. The only thing she heard was the sound of metal crunching as she felt the car spin around. She heard a very familiar voice scream as she heard a snap. As her head collided with the passenger side window, she realized that she was the one who was screaming.

Sometimes life can change in a moment, without rhyme or reason. Sometimes it involves a decision, a choice to go right or left, up or down. Sometimes life changes when you don't want it to. Sometimes fate takes the wheel and decides to plot a new course. As consciousness began to escape Riley, she looked beside her, into the emerald eyes of her boyfriend. If this was the end, she wanted him to be the last thing she saw. She was so tired, so very tired. She slowly closed her eyes as cognizance escaped her.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

'What happened?' It was the question that the police asked, the paramedics asked, the doctors asked, their parents asked, and something Lucas asked himself every moment since it happened. He knew that he had the green light. He knew that he checked to make sure no one was running the red light on either side of him. How did they get t-boned? How was it possible that Riley got knocked out and he only sustained a few bumps and bruises? The only thing he even knew about Riley was what he saw in the car: he saw her pass out. He saw some blood. He saw the fear in her eyes. He heard her scream. He heard that bone-chilling snap. He didn't know if she was ok or even if she was-no. He refused to think that way. As he spoke with the police, he turned to see the ambulance leave for the hospital. His heart ached to be with her, but he knew that since he had been checked out on the scene, that he would have to get through the questioning from the police before he could get to the hospital, to get to her.

Once he was questioned, one of the policemen on the scene drove Lucas to the hospital. Once there, Lucas found out quickly that they weren't going to tell him anything about Riley's condition since she was a minor and he wasn't her parent or legal guardian. He couldn't help it—he got angry. Angrier than he had been in months. How dare anyone not tell him how his girlfriend was doing? After slamming his fists on the counter, he instantly realized that acting out of anger wasn't going to get him in to see her any quicker. He mumbled an apology to the nurse before he trudged to the waiting room. Though the police assured him that they would call Riley's parents, Lucas pulled out his phone. When he heard Topanga answer, he let out a long breath, "Mrs. Matthews, it-it's Lucas."

* * *

Cory and Topanga sat in the waiting room as they watched Lucas pace front of them. "Lucas, please sit down," Cory told him. "You're making us even more nervous."

Lucas stopped in front of his history teacher. "How? How could I have possibly walked away from that accident while she is back there? How? How is that fair to her? She didn't do anything, sir. All she did was sit in the passenger side of the car. She didn't ask to be hit by some moron speeding through a red light."

"Lucas, it was an accident," Topanga told him. Though she was scared to death for her daughter, she felt the need to console the teenage boy in front of her. She could tell that Lucas was wracked with guilt over the whole situation. The only thing they knew was that Riley was in surgery. They were assured that it wasn't life threatening, but it was something that needed to be taken care of immediately. "We'll know more after she comes out of surgery."

"I know, but—" Lucas turned to the doctor who had opened the waiting room door. Cory and Topanga stood as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews," the doctor questioned. He glanced at Lucas briefly before he turned to the anxious parents. "Can we speak in private?"

Cory and Topanga looked over at Lucas, who simply nodded. He was upset that he wasn't going to hear what was going on from the doctor, but he also knew that he was in no place to fight anyone on it. All he wanted to know was that she was ok, that she would be ok. He didn't care who he heard it from, he just needed to know that she was ok—that she would be fine.

As he watched them walk out the waiting room, he saw Maya and Josh walk in, coffee in their hands. "Where did they go," Maya asked Lucas as she handed him a cup.

"The doctor wanted to speak with them about something. About Riley." Lucas sat his cup down without taking a sip. He was a nervous wreck. Somehow he convinced his parents not to drive down, insisting that he was ok, but that he would be in Philadelphia for however long it took. He didn't leave room for debate. He was going to stay wherever she was for however long it took. There was no other option. School could wait. Football could wait. Being there for Riley could not. She was his priority.

Maya and Josh moved to sit down, both of them anxious, both of their thoughts centered on Riley. They didn't know anything about what was going on. The only thing the three of them knew was that she was in surgery. They didn't even know what for. They didn't know if it was something minor or major. They didn't know if she had woken up at all or if she was still unconscious. Not knowing was the worst.

* * *

It felt like Cory and Topanga had been gone for an eternity before they came back into the waiting room, both of their faces grave. It was obvious that Topanga had been crying, and even Cory had bloodshot eyes. The three teens stood up when they saw them.

"Well," Maya asked them.

"What happened," Josh pleaded.

"Mr. and Mrs. Matthews," Lucas questioned. His heart raced as he looked at his girlfriends' parents. They looked devastated. This couldn't be good.

They looked at each other briefly before they looked at the teens. "She's out of surgery," Cory told them. "She's in recovery now. We were able to see her for a few minutes. She was still out though." He looked at Topanga for a moment. "Uh..." he rubbed his head, "she's pretty beaten up." Beaten up was an understatement. His only daughter was covered in bruises. Although the nurses had cleaned her up, she still had some blood on her face and arms from the cuts caused by the broken glass from the car. She was covered in bruises. Seeing her that way broke Cory's heart. No parent should ever have to see their child like that.

"She's going to be ok though, right," Josh asked his parents. She had to be. She was Riley. Though she was clumsy, she never had anything serious like this ever happen to her. She was so strong, stronger than most people gave her credit for, including herself. She had to be ok. There just wasn't another option.

Cory and Topanga looked at one another. "She's going to live, but she's not going to be ok," Topanga told them slowly. She didn't think it would be this hard to tell them what had happened to her. To be honest, she was still trying to process exactly how much life for all of them was about to change. She knew her daughter was going to need a solid support system going into the next several months.

"What?" Maya took a step closer to Topanga. "Please, tell us." She was scared. She knew Cory and Topanga. She had never seen either of them act so nervous, scared even. Maya looked down at Topanga's hands. They were shaking. Something had happened. Something was wrong with Riley.

Cory let out a breath. "She has a concussion, so they're monitoring her very closely. She has a few bruised ribs, her left wrist is sprained, but one of the biggest things is that...she broke her right leg."

Maya, though in shock, was the first one of the three to ask the obvious question. "What? No, that can't be right, what about dance," she asked them. This wasn't happening. Dance was Riley's life. She had worked for years for this, and now she had a broken leg?

"The doctors said that her leg broke in two places, one of the two places practically shattered her shin. That was the reason for her surgery. They had to try to reconstruct it. They had to put a rod in," Cory sighed, "She'll be in a wheelchair for a few months before we can even consider physical therapy or a walking boot. At this point, the doctors aren't sure if she'll be able to walk without a limp or even without assistance. So dance...for the foreseeable future is...is out." He put his arm around his wife. He could tell that she was trying to keep it together, but knew that her heart broke for their daughter.

Maya clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God," she squeaked out. In one moment, her best friend's dreams had completely been erased. Riley might not be able to walk again? She might not be able to dance again? This had to be some nightmare. Some horrible dream. Any minute she would wake up in Mr. Matthews' history class, take one look at her best friend, and know she was ok. Maya pinched her arm. No. This was real. This was reality.

"That can't be right," Lucas shook his head. His brain couldn't comprehend what they told him. "That's not what's supposed to happen. She's supposed to have her audition in a few months. She's supposed to do that summer program and get into Juilliard. You must've misheard what he said." There is no way that this was happening. Lucas walked away from the accident. Sure he had some bruises and scratches, but he could put his pads on and play a full game right now if asked to. How was it possible that he could walk away from that, but his girlfriend, who wasn't even driving, may not be able to walk normally ever again? This couldn't be right. It wasn't fair.

"Lucas, we asked in every way we could think of so we knew exactly what was going on." Cory knew that this was hard for the teens to process. It was hard for him to process, and he knew more about the harsh reality of the world. At their age, he knew they felt invincible, that nothing could happen to them. Cory still felt like that at times, that he had all the time in the world to make his dreams come true. This was a hard reality for all of them to face. He knew that his daughter was going to be completely devastated. He knew that she would need a strong support system over the coming months. His daughter was strong, but he also knew that his daughter made dance her life, and adjusting to not being able to do it, at least for a while, was not going to be an easy transition. "This is going to devastate her when she wakes up. We have to keep encouraging her. The doctor said her attitude, her positivity will give her the best chance at a full recovery."

"This isn't fair," Josh spoke for the first time since he had heard the news. "She shouldn't have to deal with this-not at 16 years old." Sixteen. At sixteen years old, his sister would have to face the reality that maybe her lifelong dreams weren't going to come true. Not only that, but she would have to fight in order to try to get some semblance of a normal life back, and even then, that might not even be possible. It wasn't right. It shouldn't be something that a sixteen year old should face. Her biggest problem should be what dress to wear to the Homecoming dance, not if she would ever walk normally again.

"Maybe you guys should go back to the city. We don't know how long she'll be here," Topanga suggested, although she already knew their answer.

The three teenagers looked at Topanga as if she had grown a second head. Topanga sighed. She knew that it would be pointless to suggest it, but she felt she had to at least tell them that. She knew that those three would be there just as long as she and Cory would. Topanga needed for her daughter to wake up soon. There was something else going on with Riley that the doctor, Cory, and Topanga needed to discuss with her, something more serious than her injuries, if that were even possible with everything going on. The doctor had noticed something when he initially examined Riley, but did not want to confirm anything until he had spoken with her directly. Topanga didn't even want to think about it, even consider what the doctor had feared. She knew her daughter. She was driven, yes, but she wouldn't harm herself like that. Not Riley Matthews.

* * *

A few hours later, the nurse informed the small group that Riley had woken up. Cory and Topanga begged the three teens for them to see her first. They would all be able to see her, but they had to meet with the doctor and discuss a few things with Riley. Maya, Lucas, and Josh were hesitant to agree, but eventually did.

Lucas held his breath the whole time they were gone. He had gone back to pacing up and down the length of the waiting room. How was Riley coping with everything? Were they going to tell her about how long the recovery would be for her leg? Did she blame him for the accident? One thing Lucas knew for certain was that he was going to be there for her. He could have lost her completely. That thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

His head snapped up when he heard the doors open and saw Cory and Topanga walk back into the waiting room. He watched them both as they walked toward the group. He could tell something was wrong, something else. Something they weren't telling anyone. He saw them exchange a glance at one another.

"How is she," Maya's voice shook as she spoke. She had been able to hold it together pretty well ever since she heard about the accident. She was starting to come undone though. The only thing she wanted to do was to see her best friend, to know that even though she wasn't ok, that she was alive, she was breathing. She would live to see tomorrow.

"She's not doing so well," Cory cleared his throat. As a parent, even as a person, he had just had one of the most difficult conversations in his whole life. He promised Riley that he wouldn't say anything to her brother or her friends about what was going on. She wanted to talk to them, to let them know what else the doctor had discovered. Cory wanted to break down. His heart was heavy, his mind filled with the thoughts of a parent's worst nightmare. The only bright spot in this whole ordeal was that his daughter was alive, and that he and his wife were more aware of what was going on in her world. "Uh…she does want to speak with you guys though. The doctor agreed, but one at a time." He turned to Lucas. Cory had to admit to himself that he had impressed by Lucas since the day he met him. He seemed level headed, a good influence on both of his children. Cory had a lot of faith in Lucas that Riley would be able to talk to him when she wouldn't confide in his wife or himself. "She wanted to speak with you first, Lucas."

He nodded before he calmly walked toward the same doors Cory and Topanga walked through.

* * *

That calm reserve vanished as soon as Lucas walked through the double doors. He practically ran down the hospital hallway as he searched for her room. He even accidentally ran past her room. Once he realized what he had done, he slid down the freshly waxed hallway, turned sharply and ran back. After he double-checked the room number, his hands began to shake. He was nervous, scared even. He wasn't sure exactly what he was about to walk into. He knew that she had broken a few bones, and that she had cuts on bruises all over her body, but he still didn't feel prepared. He took a deep, unsteady breath as he knocked. When he didn't hear a reply, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside. He opened the door a little wider when he realized that he did have the right room. He couldn't help but gasp when he saw her. No description could have prepared him for the sight he saw. She had small lacerations and bruises all over her face and arms, she had a wrap around her right hand, a small bandage on her forehead, and her right leg was propped up on several pillows, a huge cast wrapped around it. Her eyes were open, but she didn't see him enter the room. She simply looked outside of the window. "Riley," he said softly as he approached her. All he wanted to do was to run to her, hold her, and thank whatever deity who saw fit to keep her in this world. He remembered her bruised ribs though, and didn't want to cause her any more discomfort. He also didn't want to surprise her since it looked as if she hadn't even heard him enter the room.

She slowly turned to face him as tears streamed down her face. She didn't say a word. She didn't know what to say or how to act. She could barely string a few coherent sentences together. She was so disoriented when she woke up. She flailed in her bed when she saw her leg, which caused her to yelp in pain because of her ribs. It took two nurses and some muscle relaxers to calm her down long enough to listen to the doctor. He asked her about her eating habits. At first she denied everything, just claiming how much physical work she was doing daily, but when she realized that he wasn't buying any of it, Riley realized that she didn't really have anything to lose anymore. She didn't want to be sick. She didn't want to keep lying. She didn't—couldn't—be 'Little Miss Perfect' anymore.

When she saw her parents walk into the room, Riley lost what little composure she had managed to gain from the medication. She immediately told them everything: all of the meals she 'skipped', those handful of times that she would excuse herself to go to the bathroom and would make herself throw up. She told them every detail. She also told them that she hated it, hated herself for it. She told them she needed help. She knew that they were disappointed in her, scared for her, and worse, saw her differently. It killed Riley to see them look at her like that, like she wasn't the daughter they knew. She knew that they would never tell her that or even mean to look at her like that, but they couldn't help it. It was a lot to take in at once. Riley started to bawl at the sight of tears forming in her mother's eyes. The doctor left them alone while all three of them just cried for what felt like hours.

When they had calmed, Cory grabbed a nurse to page the doctor. Once he came back into Riley's hospital room, the doctor spoke with all of them about the extent of Riley's physical injuries. Before he even said it, Riley knew that dancing was out. They all discussed the plan for her physical recovery and the recovery plan for her eating disorder. Though she felt relief at finally admitting her problem, at the same time, her biggest dream was dead in a matter of seconds. She was in shock at the time, but it was starting to hit her just what it all meant. She was lost now, just a lost little girl.

Lucas walked to the side of the bed. He pulled a chair up next to her as he sat down. He had a speech planned in his mind, things that would hopefully be comforting to her. As soon as he saw her face, everything he had planned to say left his brain. He was at a complete loss for words. "Baby, I'm so sorry," his voice cracked as he reached for her hand.

She waited several moments before she opened her mouth. She wasn't sure what to say to him or how to say it. She knew what she had to do, and wanted to do it before she could talk herself out of it. "My leg is broken."

He nodded as he swallowed.

Riley blinked several times as she tried desperately to fight back the new flood of tears that were threatening to escape. "The…the doctor told me that…that I might never be able to dance again…not like I want to." She closed her eyes as the tears began to trickle down her face. Everything she had worked for, sacrificed for, was really gone.

Lucas ran his thumb along her knuckles as he tried his best to comfort her. "Doctors can be wrong. Riley, you'll be able to dance again."

She slowly shook her head. "Not in time for my audition for ABT. Not even in time for the Juilliard audition. It's…it's over." She took a deep breath to try to calm down, but that only made her cry out in pain as she felt her aching ribs move.

Lucas immediately stood up. "Do you need a nurse?"

She shook her head as she bit her lip in pain. After a few moments, the pain went away. "It's over," she repeated. "My dance career is over…even before it really began."

He didn't want to argue with her right now, but he was determined to make her see that it was only over if she wanted it to be. There would always be a chance that she could still have the life she wanted, the life that she dreamed of. "Riley, it's just a set back."

"No," she gritted out, "This is my life, remember? Dance. Dance is…" she paused as another wave of tears trickled down her face, "was," she corrected as her voice cracked, "was my life." They were silent for a moment. She was beginning to waiver from what she had promised herself she would do. He was sitting next to her, being the dutiful boyfriend. She didn't want pity though. She didn't want him to miss out on his life because of his screwed up girlfriend. He deserved better. He deserved perfection. "Please just leave, Lucas."

He frowned. He wasn't expecting her to tell him that. "Riley, I'm not leaving you."

She looked down at her leg. "I'm literally broken. I'm not good for you." He was perfect, cut straight from a magazine. She was…the definition of screwed up. A ballerina with a broken leg and an eating disorder, how pathetic was she. He deserved so much better.

"I think I should be the one to decide that," he told her. He didn't want to have any part of this conversation. She couldn't be serious about any of this. He was the one who didn't deserve her, never did. She was this angel, someone who put everyone else before herself. She was doing it now, and he wasn't about to let her go that easily.

Riley's resolve wouldn't budge. The more he told her 'no', the more determined she felt to push him away. "No. I'm completely broken…physically, mentally, emotionally. I can't…Lucas…just leave."

Lucas wasn't sure how much more of this he could listen to. It was breaking his heart hearing her speak like this. He knew the situation was bad, but he also knew that they could get through it—together. "Riley, I love you."

She shook her head as she allowed his words go through one ear and out the other. She wasn't going to give in and do this to him, make him stay with her. It wasn't fair to him. She wasn't going to hold him back from the life he deserved. "This shouldn't have happened. I knew it." A different tactic. One she knew would work. She knew what his weakness would be. She knew what would make him leave her.

His heart sunk. He suddenly thought that she wasn't just speaking about the away game—the weekend in Philadelphia. He began to think that maybe she meant something else entirely. "Shouldn't have gone to the away game or…shouldn't have given me a chance."

She blinked several times and looked away. She could end it right now with one sentence, but Riley couldn't say the words. She couldn't. She wanted what was best for him, couldn't he just see that and leave her alone? He was too noble. And she loved him way too much. This hurt much more than her ribs, her head, even her leg.

Lucas took a shaky breath. His heart slammed into his chest. He didn't even need for her to respond. He knew what she meant. His deepest fear as he waited in the waiting room was realized. She blamed him for it all. "You regret being with me?"

She was silent for a moment as she prayed for the strength to get through this conversation. "This wouldn't have happened if we weren't together," her voice was low, but strong. Where she found that strength, she didn't know. She just knew she had to get him out of this room before she broke down and begged for his forgiveness for everything—before she begged him to stay with her and not to give up on her—that she could be perfect again. She closed her eyes. "I don't think we should be together anymore."

Lucas flinched. This wasn't happening. Not after what they said to each other, not after the last few months. They hadn't been together long, but they had been together long enough for Lucas to know that what they have is something that doesn't come around often, if at all. He thought—no, he knew—she had felt the same way. This was something else. Maybe she was trying to push him away? But why? Why would she do that? Hurt them both unnecessarily? "Riley, I know you love me. Don't push me away."

"I'm not pushing you away. I'm running away." She looked at her leg. Running. She wouldn't be doing that for the better part of a year, if ever again. There was something else he needed to know, maybe this would be the final straw. Maybe if he saw what a freak she really was, she wouldn't have to leave him. Maybe he would run from the room screaming. She wouldn't blame him if he did. "I have something I need to tell you. Something that I tried to tell you before—when we were in the tree house at my grandparents'." She looked over at him. "Lucas, I have an eating disorder."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Out of everything he thought she could possibly tell him, this wasn't even on the list. An eating disorder? Was this why she was suddenly pushing him away from her? "I don't think—"

"I do," she interrupted, not wanting to hear him deny it. She had done enough of that over the last several months. "I'm anorexic. The doctor figured it out just from looking at me. I'm underweight and malnourished. I don't eat and when I do, sometimes I," she trailed off. She swallowed, "Not often, but I have made myself thrown up before."

Lucas swallowed. He wasn't sure what to say or how to act. He was completely in shock. He tried to think back to all of their dates. Most of them didn't involve food, only their first one did. With their schedules, Riley just always wanted to do something else. She always told him that she had already eaten or wasn't really hungry. That's when everything started to click into place for Lucas. It made sense now. All of it. She never really ate at lunch, she just picked at her food. Whenever she would come home from dance, she would just grab a bottle of water. Whenever she did eat something, it was just a few vegetables, never a full meal. Suddenly, Lucas felt incredibly stupid. All this time and he never saw it, never saw that she needed help. He had let her down.

Riley took his silence to mean that he finally saw her for who she was: a broken little girl. Someone who didn't deserve Mr. Perfect. Someone who didn't deserve the kind of love that he had given to her. She had lied to him, kept her deepest secret from him since the moment they met. "Just go, Lucas. You don't have to pretend to see me the same way." She wasn't perfect. She wasn't the girl he said she was. She was the exact opposite.

He still didn't want to let her go. He couldn't. He loved her, maybe more than ever. All he wanted to do was to help her, see her smile again. Yes, she had kept this from him, but he had also kept something from her. "Riley, don't do this."

She looked down at her leg. She was so tired. She felt so drained, but she knew his resolve was beginning to crumble. She needed to let him go. She had to. "It's done. Go. Go enjoy your life. Be with someone who isn't broken, who is worth something in this world…who is worthy of you."

Lucas wiped his eyes. She was really breaking up with him. She was really going to push him away. "You're worth everything, Riley. We'll get through this together."

"Together?" She tried to laugh, but the sharp pain in her ribs reminded her the cost of such dramatics. She winced. "You walked away with a few bumps and bruises. I have an eating disorder, Lucas. My brain is so screwed up that I see food as the enemy. My leg was shattered and now I have a rod where bone used to be, I have a sprained wrist, and a concussion…not to mention all these cuts and bruises," she gestured to her face. "My dreams are dead. I feel like I'm dead inside. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Leave me alone." She turned to face the window again.

Lucas slowly stood up. He wasn't going to listen to her say anymore of these ridiculous things. He knew she was full of it. He knew that she knew she was full of it too. He could tell that she was exhausted by just having this conversation. She needed rest. Maybe when she woke up, she would see reason, and she would realize that he loved her no matter what. She would realize that he wanted to be with her, no matter what she was going through. He walked toward the door, but before leaving, he turned to face her. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Riley. I know you. I know you love me."

Riley may have smashed her head against the window of a car, but she knew at that moment what would hurt him the most. She silently prayed for forgiveness before she spoke. "'The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly'," she quoted from The Great Gatsby as she looked outside. She slowly turned to look at him. "You ruined my life. How could I love you?" She took a deep breath and turned away when she saw the pain form in his eyes.

Lucas was speechless. He touched his chest as he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He felt lightheaded as he stumbled out of her room.

Once she heard the door close, Riley began to sob. She didn't care about the pain she felt in her ribs. She didn't care that it worsened her headache. She didn't even care about the horrible pain she felt in her heart, because she knew she deserved every ounce of it.

* * *

Lucas numbly made it back to the waiting room where Maya and Josh waited with Cory and Topanga. They all rushed to him when they noticed his demeanor. None of them had ever seen anything like it. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He looked haunted.

Lucas knew he had tears streaming down his face. He didn't care who saw it. He didn't care about much of anything at that moment.

"Is she ok," Maya tentatively asked him. Lucas didn't look right at all. He looked more upset than when she first saw him after the accident.

He shook his head. He wasn't sure what to say. How was he supposed to tell her family that she just dumped him because she blamed him for everything that happened to her? Would they hate him too? Would he lose his best friend over this?

Topanga put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Did she tell you?"

"Tell you what," Josh asked her. He looked between his parents and his best friend. Josh was quickly losing his composure. He had waited patiently enough while his parents and his best friend saw her. He wasn't about to wait to be told something else about her. "I'm not in the frame of mind to deal with secrets and riddles. What is going on with my sister, Lucas?"

Lucas looked at Riley's parents who merely nodded; an indication for him to tell Josh and Maya what was going on. "Riley has an eating disorder."

"What?! That's impossible," Josh looked around the room. There was no way that Riley would do that to her body. She, more so than anyone else, would know the effects of an eating disorder on her health. She wouldn't put herself at risk like that. She was too smart to do that.

Although he still wanted to deny it himself, Lucas was beginning to come to terms with the truth. "She admitted it. She told me when I saw her." He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to compose himself. As much as he wanted to be anywhere but there, he still felt the need to be close to her, just in case she needed him. Though he wanted to chalk it up to stupidity, he knew love was the reason why he felt that way.

Josh frowned. None of this made sense to him. Surely someone would have noticed if she had this type of problem. He turned to Maya. "You didn't know about this?"

Maya looked from Lucas to Josh and back at Lucas. The news that Riley had an eating disorder didn't surprise her. The news that she finally confessed it did surprise her. And now she was stuck between the people who cared about her the most. She didn't know what to tell them. "I...I..."

Josh faced Maya fully, betrayal evident on his face. If she knew about this, surely she would tell him. There was no way his girlfriend would ever keep something like this from him about his sister. Girl code be damned. This was a serious health issue. If Maya knew about it, Josh knew that she would immediately speak to someone about it. She wouldn't just let it go on. "Maya?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I knew about it, ok? She did it for a few months about a year ago. I-I convinced her to stop." She paused as she tried to study Josh's face. She was usually able to read him clearly. For the first time ever, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. She decided to continue. "She started it back up a few months ago. Once again, I thought I had convinced her to stop. I thought she had. I kept an eye on her...she was eating." She looked around at the whole group. Suddenly, she felt very stupid. She should've said something to someone.

"She apparently threw it all up," Cory still couldn't believe they were talking about his daughter. "She told us that she had done that a few times."

"You knew," Josh asked Maya incredulously. He felt betrayed. Completely betrayed by the one person he knew would never betray him. After everything, after knowing each other for most of their lives-she kept something like this from him? How was he going to be able to trust her again? "And you didn't think to tell anyone? Not even me?"

"Josh, I thought it had stopped. I-"

He took a step away from her. Disgust. He was completely disgusted by this. Not by finding out his sister was sick. He was disgusted by the revelation that his girlfriend knew about it and didn't bother to do anything about it. "No. Maya. No. That's my sister. You knew she had a problem and instead of telling me or anyone about it, you kept it to yourself?"

She took a step toward him. "Josh, I-"

"No," he said again as he took a few more steps back from her. "I thought I knew you better than that." He looked at the group. "I'm going to go see my sister."

"Let me go see if she's still up for seeing anyone," Topanga said as she took in Lucas's appearance once more. He looked emotionally exhausted. Whatever had happened between the two of them must have taken a toll on Riley too. Topanga didn't want her daughter to have to deal with too much too soon.

"I dare anyone to stop me from seeing her," Josh said in a low tone. He looked over at his mom. "I'm sorry, mom, but she's my sister." He turned and walked in the direction of Riley's room.

Cory looked at Lucas and Maya. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to either one of them. "Are you guys ok?"

Maya shook her head as tears escaped her eyes. She couldn't believe everything that was happening around her. Her entire world was turned upside down in a matter of hours. She still hadn't seen her best friend and now her boyfriend—was he even her boyfriend still—felt completely betrayed by her. "I thought I was helping her out. I thought it was just some stupid phase. I didn't know it was continuing. I mean, I suspected she might be doing it again at the game when she didn't eat. She said we would talk in the city." She looked up at Cory. "Mr. Matthews, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She looked down as she placed her hands on either side of her face as she realized how stupid she was for keeping this secret to herself. She should've told someone the moment she realized what was going on.

"Maya, it's ok. I understand why you kept it a secret. You thought you were being a good friend. You thought she would stop." He turned to Lucas who still looked white as a sheet. "Are you ok? What did she say?"

"She blames me," he said simply as he rubbed his forehead, as the conversation with Riley began to replay in his mind. "She...broke up with me."

"She doesn't mean it," Maya told him as she wiped her own eyes. She knew Riley. She knew how much she loved Lucas. Those kinds of feelings don't just end. "She's just upset right now. She really does love you."

Cory snapped his head toward Maya. ' _Love? She loves him?!'_ He slowly turned back to look at Lucas. _'Of course she does. And he obviously loves her.'_ "She does," he told him. "I know my daughter. She loves you."

"Maybe she did," he looked up as he tried to control his emotions. He had to face facts. He had to believe what she told him. She wanted to break up with him. As much as he didn't understand it, he had to respect her wishes. "Not now. Not anymore. Who could blame her though, right? I was the one driving. I was the one who convinced her to come this weekend. I was the one who pulled her away from what she wanted." Tears spilled over his eyes. He quickly turned away from the group. He didn't want them to see him get upset again. All he wanted was for her to get better. If that meant staying away from her, then he would try his best. He wasn't giving up on them, but maybe he needed to step away in order to give them hope for the future.

Maya's heart broke for Lucas. She knew he really cared about Riley, but it wasn't until that moment that she realized just how much he really did love her. Maya was determined to make things right between them. Riley could be stubborn, but Maya knew how to handle her. "Lucas, she'll realize what she said when she gets over the shock of it. I know her."

He wanted to believe her. More than anything, he wanted to believe that this whole thing would get resolved quickly. Deep down he knew it was going to take more than a few conversations to make things right between them. Though her words stung, and he wouldn't be able to get them out of his mind any time soon, he did and would still continue to love her. When you care about someone that much, you just don't lose hope that easily. You fight for it. Lucas wanted to fight for her, for them, but he knew that now might not be the best time for that. Riley had a lot to deal with—guys shouldn't be one of those things. "You didn't see the look in her eyes, Maya."

Maya wiped her eyes. How did everything go from almost perfect to completely shattered in less than 24 hours? She looked over at the doors that Josh escaped behind. "Did it match the one Josh just gave me? Cause I'm pretty sure he just broke up with me."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Note is at the end of the chapter because I didn't want to give anything away. Anyway, I know this chapter was super dramatic and super heavy, but it had to be. And please no reviews on how it's impossible to shatter part of your leg, because that exact injury happened to my dad last year. So, I do know what I'm talking about in that regard. Again, sorry for not doing shout outs with this chapter, the chapter alone is over 7000 words, so I'm sure you all are tired of reading.**_


	12. Chapter Eleven

_**A/N: This chapter is not good. I apologize in advance. I've had a bit of writer's block, and this is me trying to work through it.**_

* * *

Chapter Eleven

 _ **Variation: A solo dance. Upon completion of the adagio, the dancers separate and each dancer, in turn, takes center stage and performs a**_ _ **variation**_ _ **.**_

He wasn't speaking to her—hadn't spoken to her ever since he walked away from her. Josh knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but he was beyond furious at Maya. He knew that she knew that hiding Riley's secret was the worst possible thing she could do for her. It felt like he didn't know who Maya really was—a thought that had haunted him for the last several days. He didn't answer her calls or texts. He knew that they would have to speak eventually, but he just didn't know what to say to her.

Riley was in the hospital for four days. Cory and Topanga let Josh miss one day of school to stay there with his sister, but afterward, Topanga was finally able to convince him and Cory that they should go back to the city with Auggie. Cory had to get back to his classes, Josh couldn't miss many practices, and Topanga reasoned with them both that Riley was just there for observation purposes.

When Riley and Topanga made it back home, Josh still hadn't spoken a word to Maya. He knew that she would be by at some point to check on Riley, that was a given as they really were like sisters. He just didn't want to be there when she did. He knew he was acting childish, but he didn't care. He didn't know how to act around her. Even though he was livid, he didn't want to say anything he might regret.

"I'm tired," Riley spoke softly as she, Cory, and Topanga entered the apartment. Cory had carried Riley up the stairs, and still held his daughter as Topanga carried the wheelchair. She sat it down and popped it open. She moved to grab the legs of the chair to lock them into place.

"I'm sure. It was a very long trip for just getting out of the hospital," Cory slowly bent down to place her in the chair. Once she was seated, her parents went back downstairs to grab their luggage from the weekend. After a few moments, they returned.

"Do you want to rest on the couch or do you want to lay in your bed," Topanga asked her as she sat their bags on the chair.

"Bed. I'll be more comfortable." She sighed as she shifted in her seat. "Oh. Stairs." She looked over at her father. She felt awful about making him carry her up to the apartment, and didn't want to ask him to carry her to her room. She felt completely helpless. It was infuriating for her. "If you don't want to carry me again, I'm fine on the couch."

"You're fine, sweetheart," Cory tried to assure her. He was tired, but he would never let his daughter know that. He just wanted her to be comfortable.

"I've got it, dad," Josh said as he entered the living room. "I heard the door," he added when they all gave him a confused look. He turned to his sister. "You look great," he smiled.

"You're a terrible liar," she rolled her eyes, but gave him a halfhearted smile anyway. "But thanks for trying." She shifted again in the chair. She would never get used to having to stay seated all the time. She was already sore from it. The next few months were going to be awful.

"Come here," he leaned down to pick her up out of the chair.

"You don't have to." Riley felt obligated to say it, but she was so grateful that he offered to help. She was elated at the thought of lying down in her own bed. She just wanted to sleep the next few months away. She wanted to wake up and feel normal again, whatever that meant.

Josh made sure to look into her eyes. She needed to know that he was going to be there for her every step of the way. "It's one of my duties as your big brother. I'm here. I want to be here. You can't make me not be here."

"Thank you," she leaned her head to the side to rest against his chest as he began to walk toward the stairs. Maya was her best friend, there was no doubt about that, but Josh had always been there for her. They were polar opposites, but at the end of the day, Riley knew that she could always count on her brother. They annoyed each other to no end, but the relationship they had with one another was something special.

"We'll be up in a minute to get you settled," Topanga called to them. Once they left the room, she turned to Cory. "Just give them a few minutes."

He nodded. "Yeah. When I drove Maya and Lucas back to the city, it was...God, it was so heartbreaking," he let out a breath, "Both of them just seemed so defeated. And Josh has been quiet all week." His son, who never lacked for anything to say, barely spoke when he was home. Even when Lucas would come over to study, neither one of them really spoke. They just worked in silence.

"She has too," Topanga told him. "She has a lot to work through though. Maybe space is a good thing for now. At least for her."

"Yeah," he put his hands on his hips, "Maybe you're right. At least until she starts to get better."

Topanga wrapped her arms around her husband. She really missed him over the last several days. She had always loved him, but Riley's accident helped the mother of three to realize that she needed to show him everyday just how much he meant to her. She closed her eyes as she just felt his arms around her. After a few moments, she pulled away to walk over to the discarded luggage. "Riley said Maya was coming by later."

Cory thought about that for a moment. "Does Riley know about Maya and Josh?"

Topanga shook her head. "She hasn't mentioned it if she did. And I feel like with all the talking we have been doing the last few days, if she knew, she would've told me."

* * *

"I'm glad you're home, Riles," Josh told her as he gently laid her on top of her comforter. He was quick to move some pillows around to make sure she was as comfortable as she could be. Once she stopped squirming, he took a few steps back and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Thanks," she mumbled. It was weird to need help just to get situated in her own bed. She felt so incredibly helpless. She hated it. "And for…helping me get here." She looked around her room for a moment. "How mad at me are you?"

"Mad?"

"For…you know." She looked down at her bandaged wrist to avoid eye contact with him. "When I saw you at the hospital, I know you were happy I was ok and everything, but now that I'm home and as normal as I'm going to be for awhile, you can tell me. I'm ready for you to let me have it." She tried to brace herself. As much as she really wasn't ready for him to yell at her, she didn't want things to be weird between them. She needed him now more than ever.

Josh thought about it for several moments. There were a lot of things he wanted to talk to her about, to ask her about. After composing his thoughts, he took a deep breath. "Are you sure?" When she nodded, he averted his gaze to her comforter. "I wasn't mad, Riley. I was…confused more than anything I guess. You've always seemed to have it all together…even when we were kids. You just seemed to be…"

"Perfect?" That word. That word that stirred up every negative emotion in Riley. She felt nauseous just thinking about it.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Mature, determined…I don't know. I feel like you were smart enough not to pull something stupid like that."

"I'm not perfect, Josh," she said slowly. "But…I thought I had to be." Always. 24/7. She had to be a perfect student, perfect dancer, perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect girlfriend. She felt that she always had to be picture perfect.

"Is that why you," he trailed off. This was hands down the hardest and most awkward conversation he had ever had with his sister, and it was only just beginning. He wanted to know what was going on with her. He had to know. All he wanted to do was to help her, and in order to do that, he had to try to get inside of her mind, to see things from her perspective.

"Partly," she admitted. She felt like she knew why she started doing it, but once she reached her goal weight, she couldn't stop. Part of her, the worst part, didn't want to stop even though most of her brain constantly screamed at her to eat. Eat and not throw it up. Sadly, that small part of her always won the battle. "I don't know. I guess I'll figure it out when I start going to counseling."

Josh swallowed. He was so worried about her, but he knew he had to try to hide it as much as he could. He knew his sister would feel even worse if she knew how scared he was for her. "How are you feeling now?"

"Well, mom kept shoving that disgusting hospital food down my throat, so I'm glad to be home. At least here, I know it's real food." She looked down at her body. "The doctor says that I've already gained two pounds, so that's a start, I guess."

"What's the goal?"

"About 20 pounds," she admitted.

"Wow," he nodded.

"Yeah…"

Josh noticed her discomfort. "Listen, if you don't want to talk about this—"

Riley shook her head. "I can talk to you about it. I need to be able to talk about it. Josh, I…" she looked up at him, "I don't want to be sick anymore."

"I know, Riley." The look on her face nearly broke his heart right then and there.

She looked down at her leg. "And I don't want to have a broken leg anymore."

"I know. I'm so sorry about all of this."

"You couldn't have known," she told him. She could tell that he was getting more uncomfortable with the conversation. He had to be. Riley knew she was starting to feel down. They were both silent for a few moments, both lost in thought. "Hey," she gave him a small smile, "Maya is supposed to be by later. Are you going to hang out with us? Maybe watch a movie or something?"

"Uhh," he moved to stand up. He had hoped to avoid this conversation for a few more days while Riley got settled in, but he realized at that moment that would be impossible to do. "Probably not the best idea."

Riley frowned. "Why not?" She thought that Maya coming over would make him happy. The three of them could just hang out like they used to before life got so complicated. Riley had looked forward to spending time with them both.

"I didn't want to tell you while you were in the hospital." He rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to think about how to tell her what happened. He knew she would blame herself for it, but it wasn't Riley's fault. Josh knew she would never believe that though.

She didn't like where this conversation was leading. What was going on? "Tell me what? Josh, you're scaring me."

He took a deep breath. "Riley…Maya and I are…sort of…well, we broke up."

"What? Why?"

They both turned their heads to the bay window when they heard a footstep. Josh had a sudden intake of breath when his eyes met Maya's. They stood there for a long moment as they looked at one another. "I'll let her explain it," he finally spoke as he moved to the door. "Just…text…if you need anything."

* * *

Another week slipped by. Riley had begun to go to counseling twice a week. Though she wanted the help, Riley couldn't help but be a little nervous to tell a complete stranger about her life. Her first few sessions didn't get too intense for her, she just told her therapist about herself, dance, and her family. She didn't mention Lucas and her therapist hadn't asked. That was just fine for Riley. She hadn't discussed the star quarterback with anyone since that day in the hospital, and thankfully, no one really asked her about it. She knew he had come to visit everyday, but she couldn't see him. She couldn't let him see her. She knew she couldn't hide forever from him. Her doctor and her parents wanted her to go back to school, to get back in a semi-normal routine. As much as she wanted some normalcy back in her life, the thought of going to JQA scared the crap out of her. She looked down at the homework in front of her. God, she hated chemistry. She looked toward the door when she heard a knock.

"Come in," she said as she looked back down at the textbook in front of her.

"How's the homework coming," Topanga asked as she came into Riley's room, a tray of food in her hands.

"It's going," she sighed, "Chemistry is just...not my best." She placed her pen on top of the page she was on before she closed the book. She slid it away from her.

"Oh," Topanga sat the tray next to the bed before she sat down at the foot of the bed. "Are you ready to go back to school next week?"

"No," she told her honestly. She wasn't sure what exactly she would go back to. She knew the other kids would stare. She knew there would be whispers about her. She knew she'd have to see him. She wasn't ready. To be honest, she didn't think she ever would be ready to face all that.

Topanga had avoided the subject ever since the accident, but she knew that the closer Riley got to going back to school, the more she wanted to talk to her daughter about him. "You know...Lucas has been by to see you everyday."

Riley looked at the food on the tray. "I know." He came home with Josh everyday. Josh would then come into her room to ask her if she wanted to see him. And everyday, she shook her head 'no'. She wasn't ready. She was beginning to think she would never be ready.

"Why won't you see him?"

Riley looked down at her wrist. Thankfully, it was almost healed. It just had an ace bandage on it now and felt a little sore. She slowly turned her wrist to see how well she could move it. Anything to not have to look up at her mother and engage her in this conversation. "I'd rather not talk about it, mom."

Now that Topanga had the nerve to bring it up, she wasn't about to drop the subject so quickly. "Don't place the blame on him, Riley. He didn't cause the accident."

"I know that, mom. It's just," she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she finally made eye contact with her mother. "If I hadn't lost sight of what I wanted, of where I wanted to be, this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have been in that car. I wouldn't have this broken leg."

"You also wouldn't be getting help for your other problem. Riley, you were doing too much. I know dance meant a lot to you-"

"No. It meant everything to me." It was her whole life. Did no one understand that? At 16, her dreams were gone. No one in her life knew what that felt like. She was sure everyone thought she was just whining and being dramatic, but Riley actually thought she was handling the situation better than she thought she would.

"Everything? More than what Lucas meant?"

"That's different. I've been dancing for...well...forever. I've only known him for two months."

"And how do you feel about him after just two months? You told me on the way to Philadelphia. That kind of love just doesn't change because of something like this. Don't push him away Riley. You might regret it one day." Riley was a lot like her father; Topanga had heard that most of Riley's life, but Topanga also knew that her daughter was more like her than anyone else thought. She was being stubborn right now, too stubborn.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Mom, I'm not good enough for him. Look at me. Dancer with a broken leg and an eating disorder. Doesn't this scream 'Lifetime' movie to you? He deserves better." She had said it. To someone who wasn't Lucas. She didn't mean to blurt it out, especially to her mother, because she knew her mother would tell her the same things he did. That she was worth it. Riley didn't feel that way. At this point, Riley didn't even want to feel that way.

Topanga nodded as she began to understand why her daughter pushed her boyfriend away. "So that's it."

"What's it?"

"It's not that you blame him. You think because things have changed that you don't deserve him."

Riley didn't answer, though her silence spoke volumes to Topanga.

"Riley, you're a beautiful person, inside and out. This is just a setback."

"I need to focus on getting well." She didn't want to deal with guy stuff. She wanted to deal with Riley stuff. She wasn't ready to talk about or to Lucas.

Topanga nodded. "I can agree with that. You do."

"Good. So, no boys. No social events. Nothing. Just me, my schoolwork, and my family. And Maya. And Farkle."

Topanga couldn't disagree with that. The best thing for her now was to concentrate on herself. "Ok. Just know...whenever you're ready, that you deserve all the love in the world."

She smiled at her. "Thanks mom."

Topanga looked at the tray of food. "Time to eat."

Riley nodded. "Mom," she said as she reached for her fork on the tray, "I'm sorry. I know it was stupid for me to...not eat."

"Probably the stupidest thing you've ever done," she agreed. "Sweetheart, nothing is worth losing your health over. You've always been beautiful as you are."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Riley called.

Josh poked his head in. "Hey." He looked over at his mom. "Am I interrupting?"

"Hey," Riley smiled, "And not at all."

He walked into the room as Topanga moved to stand up. "I need to get everyone else settled." She turned to Josh. "Please make sure she eats."

"I will," he watched her leave the room and closed the door behind her.

"I got your assignments for today," he said as he sat the information on her bed. "You have a chemistry test coming up."

"Great," she said sarcastically before she took a bite of the chicken casserole on her plate. "I should be able to ace that one."

"You know he's still willing to tutor you," Josh told her as he sat on the edge of her bed.

She swallowed the food in her mouth. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll just try to get Farkle to help me."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"It's better than asking my ex boyfriend or failing. I have to try." She took another bite of her food. She loved Farkle, but as far as having him as a tutor, it was always a disaster for them. He would say something that would offend her and they would end up arguing about something that had nothing to do with whatever subject they were trying to study. It was always a disaster, but Riley would rather risk that than the alternatives. She took a sip of her water. "Have you talked to her?"

He shook his head.

"It's not her fault."

"The accident isn't his fault," he fired back at her. He wasn't in the mood to talk about this. Truth be told, he was never in the mood to talk about her. He wasn't ready for that.

She knew he didn't want to discuss Maya as much as she didn't want to discuss Lucas. "Fair enough." She took another bite. "You two have been together for, what, 6 months though...and you've known each other forever. You can't just not talk to her. She was doing what she thought was right...what I told her to." She was pushing it, she knew she was, but she hated seeing both of them like this. She knew they were trying to hide it from her, but she could still see it. They were miserable.

"Riley, I don't want to talk about it. I know you two have your secrets, all friends do, but when it's something like this...something serious and life threatening...I can't...she knows..." he sighed, "she should've said something to either mom and dad or myself."

Her brother was so stubborn, maybe the most stubborn person in her family. "I told her not to, Josh. I told her I had stopped. This isn't her fault. She was doing what I told her to do."

The last thing Josh wanted to do was to discuss Maya with anyone, especially with his sister. "Riley, don't worry about it. You need to focus on getting better, ok?"

"No," she moved to sit up. "I am going to worry. My best friend and my brother aren't together because of me. I need to fix this."

"You need to fix yourself." He waited a moment before he continued. "If you're all about fixing things, fix things with Lucas."

"Josh, I'm not talking about that."

"And I'm not talking about Maya."

"Fine."

"Fine."

* * *

Josh took a deep breath after he left his sister's room. Another day. Another awkward conversation he would have to have with his best friend. He slowly walked down the stairs where an anxious Lucas waited. Josh just shook his head at him.

Lucas sighed. He knew what the answer would be. It was the same answer he got everyday, but he still waited. They hadn't known each other for very long, but he knew that one day, one sweet day, she would talk to him and they could work this all out. Everything she told him in the hospital still echoed in his mind, but he knew she couldn't have meant what she said. She was just trying to push him away, make him move on. Lucas wasn't about to do that. He wanted to be there for her, even if it was just in a friendship capacity.

"Maybe you just need to back off a little," Josh told him as the both moved to the kitchen table to work on homework. "I know my sister. She's going through a lot right now."

"I know that, Josh," Lucas grabbed his copy of Great Expectations from his book bag. "I just want to be able to talk to her."

"I know, but give it some time. It's a lot for all of us to take in, just imagine what's going through her mind."

"Yeah," Lucas moved to sit in one of the chairs as he began to flip through the book.

"So," Josh pointed to the book, "Have you read that one?"

"It's Dickens. Of course I've read it. It's probably one of my favorites."

"Really," Josh chuckled.

"Did I say something funny?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "It's nothing."

"Ok." Lucas ignored him as he pulled out his notebook.

Josh pretended to dismiss the conversation, but in his mind, Josh was marveled at how much Lucas and Riley had in common. Though she adored Fitzgerald, Josh knew his sister also loved Great Expectations. He knew that Lucas and Riley had bonded over their love for classic literature, but both of them even had the same favorites? If two people were ever perfect for one another, it was those two. Josh looked over at his friend. He knew Lucas cared about Riley before the accident, it was obvious, but seeing how he acted after the accident made him realize how good he really was for his sister.

Even though his mind was constantly on Maya these days, Josh swore to himself in that moment that once Riley seemed to be getting better, he would do everything possible to try to reunite the estranged couple. They were too good together, too happy around one another to just give it up because of the accident. Riley was just hurting right now. Her mind was consumed with taking everything in and taking the necessary steps to heal. She would come around at some point. She would let Lucas in again. Josh was certain of it.


	13. Chapter Twelve

_**A/N: Over 100 follows? I am truly not worthy. Thank you all so much for reading this story.**_

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"Do I really have to go," Riley complained as Josh moved to lift her from the back seat of the car. "I'm just going to be in the way." She hated this. She hated being so helpless. She hated having her brother and her father carry her up and down the stairs. She hated having to be lifted in and out of chairs. She hated that she couldn't even take a shower. She hated all of it. The only thing she wanted was to just rewind time and not even go to Philadelphia with everyone. She wanted to run. She wanted to dance. She wanted to twirl. She wanted to not feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. She wanted to be normal—whatever that meant.

"You won't be in the way, and I think going back to school will make you feel more normal," Josh told her as he watched his dad pull Riley's wheelchair out of the car.

"It'll be fine, Riley," Cory assured as he unfolded her wheelchair. "I've made all of the arrangements. Josh is taking you to your first few classes, then Maya, then Farkle after lunch. You need to get back into a normal routine. Even your doctor says that."

"People are staring," she cringed as her fellow classmates walked by them. _'Staring at what an absolute freak I am,'_ she thought miserably.

"You've never cared before." Josh looked around them. A few people looked on, but it was more curiosity than anything. Word of the accident spread around the school quickly. Josh had friends in every social clique and to his knowledge, no one knew about Riley's other issue. He looked at his sister. "It's just a broken leg. No one knows about the other thing."

"Are you sure?" Her biggest fear was everyone in the school knowing how much of a freak she really was. Those kinds of things tended to spread throughout the school within hours. All it took was one whisper—one rumor. She wasn't popular by any means, but she did work hard for what reputation she did have.

Josh nodded as he watched his father roll the chair to them. "Absolutely. Farkle doesn't even know." He carefully bent down to place her in the chair. "How's that?"

She shifted uncomfortably for a few seconds. "Awkward. I hate this stupid thing." Her parents tried to make it as comfortable as they could. They added a pillow to the seat and another one behind her back. She wasn't as sore, but she was still restless.

"You need to get used to it. You still have several weeks in it," Cory looked up at Josh. "Please, keep an eye on her."

"Of course," Josh smiled at him. "She's my sister." He moved behind her and began to push her toward the school. "The elevator is over here," he told her as he wheeled her to the side of the building.

* * *

The first half of her day went about as normal as possible. Riley was caught up in most of her classes, she had managed to avoid Lucas in the hallway, and most people seemed genuinely concerned about what happened. She got a few pitiful looks, but she tried to ignore them. She didn't want pity. She just wanted her life back.

"How about a wheelie, Riles," Maya asked her as she pushed her toward the cafeteria for lunch. She was grateful to have her best friend back at school, even though she knew Riley was less than enthused about it. Though she had visited her friend often at her house, Maya couldn't help but feel awkward there. She knew it was because of Josh. She made sure to visit Riley when she knew Josh would be at football practice to avoid another run in, but she still wasn't comfortable there anymore. That thought alone would have broken Maya's heart if it weren't already smashed into a million pieces from a certain guy who stole her heart at the tender age of three.

"Do that and my dad will kill you...right after I do." Riley shifted slightly in her seat. Her whole body felt stiff from sitting all the time. She was constantly uncomfortable. "Do we have to eat in the cafeteria?" She knew she'd see him in there. She wasn't ready. She was never going to be ready to see him. She just wanted to go home.

"Unfortunately," she mumbled. Another day. Another day of seeing Josh across the room and not being able to speak to him, to be near him.

Riley knew what her best friend was thinking about. Her mind was constantly on her best friend and brother. She was going to make things right between them. Somehow. They had to be together. They were perfect for one another. It was kismet, like how her parents were. They've known each other their whole lives. They always clicked. It couldn't be over. Not like this. Not ever. "Maya, I'm trying to talk to Josh about what happened."

As much as Maya missed Josh, she didn't want Riley's focus to be on her. She had to concentrate on dealing with whatever demons she had inside of her. She had to heal her body and her mind…not to mention her own issues with another football player. "You don't have to, Riles. It's my fault."

Riley frowned. This wasn't Maya's fault. It wasn't Josh's fault. It was her fault. It was all her stupid fault. Her and that stupid need to be little Miss Perfect. Riley was going to defeat that demon. She wasn't going to let that insecurity invade her life anymore. It ruined the lives of those she cared about the most. It was time to start righting her wrongs. "No, it's not. This is all on me. You were just being a good friend."

Maya didn't want to talk about it. The last thing she wanted was to break down in school. She had been so strong. She saved all her tears for when she was in the sanctuary of her room. "It's fine, Riley. You know how high school relationships go...they don't last. He's going to college next year anyway...this probably saved me from more heartache later on."

"Maya," Riley's heart broke for her best friend. The sheer amount of guilt Riley felt about all of it continued to crush her. Her best friend deserved so much better. Riley should have never asked her to keep her secret. It was stupid and selfish.

"Riles, it's fine." They entered the cafeteria. Maya pushed Riley toward one of the tables in the corner of the room. "Ok, I'm going to park you first then go get our food, ok?"

"Thank you...for helping me." Her head was starting to spin as she tried to think of ways to get Josh and Maya to talk, to get back together. They deserved to be happy. They shouldn't have let one stupid secret keep them from being together. Riley knew they were both miserable. She had to think of something. Some scheme to force them to talk to one another.

"You're like my sister," Maya told her as she helped Riley get as close to the table as she could. "I'd do anything for you."

Riley gave her a small smile as she watched Maya retreat toward the lunch line. After a moment alone, she couldn't help but look over at the jock table. Her heart stopped when she spotted Lucas. He looked even more incredible than she remembered. It wasn't fair. She looked awful and he looked positively god-like. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear when she noticed Missy Bradford sitting next to him. She took a deep breath as a wave of nausea overcame her. Of course she would be next to him. They were a picture perfect cutout of what high school royalty should look like. When Riley saw him look in her direction, she quickly turned her head. Why did she look for him? Why was she putting herself through this torture? She glanced at the entrance of the cafeteria just as her brother walked into the cafeteria. She figured he would just go to the jock table, but was surprised when he walked over to her.

"Hey," he greeted as he took a seat next to her.

"Hey," she gave him a half-hearted smile.

Josh looked Riley over. She seemed exhausted. Maybe it was too soon for her to come back to school. He glanced over at his usual lunch table and immediately noticed that Lucas was watching them. It hit Josh that maybe it just wasn't the physical act of being at school that was getting to Riley. Maybe it was being forced to face her life before the accident. "How's your day going so far?"

She shrugged. "I'm a little tired, but the doctor said that would be normal." Physically, mentally, emotionally drained was more like it, but she knew her brother didn't want to hear about all that.

He looked around the room anxiously. "Where is she?"

Riley rolled her eyes. Was he really going to address her as a 'she'? 'She' had a name. 'She' didn't deserve the cold shoulder her brother had been giving her since the accident. " _She_ is getting our food," she practically huffed at him. She watched him look around the room once more. Once he locked eyes with her, Riley gave him a sweet smile. "Are you going to sit with us?"

Josh rubbed the back of his neck. Couldn't his sister tell that he was trying to avoid an awkward run-in with Maya? He didn't want to tell Riley no when it was obvious she was having a rough first day back, but he couldn't act normal around Maya. Not now. "Ahh...Well..."

Riley nodded. It was worth a shot. "I get it." She cut her eyes back to the jock table. Missy was practically all over him as she leaned in to whisper in Lucas's ear. Riley took a deep breath before she looked back at her brother.

Josh looked over at his normal lunch table. He sighed. "You know, Riley...if you wanted him to, he would be more than happy to sit with you." His sister was so stubborn. Lucas would do anything she asked him to, but she refused to even talk about him. Josh wasn't sure if something else happened between them that he didn't know about, but if not, it seemed ridiculous that she would break up with him over the accident.

"Yeah right." The image of Missy draped all over him was seared into her brain. She shook her head as she tried to get the image out of her mind.

"Yeah," he nodded, "Seriously." He waited for her to say something, anything. When she didn't, he moved to stand up. "Well, I have practice after school, so I'll see you tonight?"

She nodded, her mind a million miles away. Well, not quite. Her mind was across the crowded cafeteria as she fought the urge to see what Missy was doing now. "Ok."

As Josh moved to walk around Riley, he noticed Maya walking towards them. He gave her a tight smile before he retreated toward his normal lunch table.

Maya sighed as she sat the tray down. He looked at her like she was a stranger—something Maya never thought she would see. She placed Riley's plate in front of her. "He thought I abandoned you?"

"No," Riley reached for the bottle of water. "He was just seeing how I was."

Maya ran a hand through her hair. She had wanted to ask Riley that very question all day. "How are you?" She glanced over at the jock table. Her heart fluttered when she noticed Josh take a seat next to Lucas. She looked over at Missy and Lucas. Maya tried not to laugh. Missy was trying way too hard, and Lucas looked like he wanted to run as far away from her as possible. Maya knew Riley wouldn't see the display quite like that. She hoped Riley hadn't even glanced over there, but knowing her like she did, Maya had no doubt that Riley was fully aware of Missy Bradford's advances on Lucas.

Riley looked down at her food, oblivious to what had captured Maya's attention. "Restless."

Maya looked back at her friend. "Not what I meant, Riles."

Riley picked up her fork. She noticed that Maya was staring at her. Riley shook her head as she began to twirl the spaghetti around her fork. As soon as Riley took a bite, Maya turned to her attention to her own food. As Riley twirled the pasta around her fork for another bite, she decided to open up to Maya. "I think I'm still in shock. Obviously I cried over my leg, but I don't think it's actually hit me that my whole future has been wiped out."

Maya wasn't exactly pleased with Riley's answer. She had hoped her best friend would have begun to look on the bright side of things at this point. It had only been a little over three weeks since the accident, but she knew Riley. Riley seemed to always see the bright side of things. It was one of her best traits. It worried Maya that her best friend hadn't reached that point yet. "But it's a chance to start over...create a new future...full of possibilities."

"I liked the future that I had." Riley sat her fork down as she began to think about the future she had begun to design for herself prior to the accident. She'd be the principal dancer in a company, preferably in New York. She'd be a fixture in the dance community. Critics would fawn over her portrayal of Cinderella or Nikiya or some other passionate lead. She'd attend all of the parties, the man of her dreams next to her. All eyes would be on her, but she would only notice one set: those gorgeous emerald eyes of her companion.

"Riley."

For a split second, Riley thought her fantasies were somehow reality. She knew that voice without even turning to look at him. It was the voice that haunted her dreams and her nightmares. It was the one voice she wanted to hear the most in the world, yet at the same time, it was the one voice that she was scared to death of hearing. She took a deep breath as she turned her head to him. "Lucas." Lost. She began to feel lost as she looked into his eyes. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Lucas moved to sit in the empty seat next to her, his eyes transfixed on hers. It had been long—too long-since he had seen her, since he was able to gaze into her beautiful brown eyes. Her beauty nearly took his breath away. Yes, her leg was broken and she seemed tired, but Lucas still thought she looked gorgeous. "How are you? I've come by your house everyday, but your mom said-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted as she snapped back into reality. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she shifted her gaze back to the food in front of her. Why was he talking to her? Shouldn't he be with Missy?

Lucas ached for one more glance his way from Riley, but could tell that her guard was up. She was being so stubborn about everything. He knew that she still cared about him. She had to. Feelings as intense as they had with one another don't just disappear in an instant. She was pushing him away. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he knew that he wasn't about to give up on her—on them. "When do you want me to come help you with your chemistry homework?"

She picked up her fork as she began to push her food around on the plate. "I...I have that covered. Farkle offered to help me with it. He is my lab partner and everything. I know you have a lot going on so...you don't need to worry about it anymore." She continued to push her food around on the plate, her appetite gone. She knew that wasn't a good sign. She knew she needed to eat. Why was this so hard? She seemed comforted by speaking about all of her issues with a psychiatrist, but she could barely form a sentence around someone she used to feel the closest too—even closer than she felt with Maya. That accident changed everything. Her whole world was upside down and Riley hated it.

"Riley..." He had been able to control his emotions up until this point, aside from that day in the hospital. He knew she needed space—time—to process everything that had happened. All he wanted was for her to let him be there for her, even if it was just in a friendship capacity. He needed to be there for her. His heart ached to help her.

"Lucas...I'm fine." She sat her fork down and turned to face him. She couldn't handle this right now. It was too hard. "I know what this is, and I don't want it."

He was confused. "What is this?" He knew she was pushing him away again. He had to know why. The cafeteria wasn't the place for this conversation, but where else were they supposed to have it? She wouldn't see him at her house, and he doubted he could get away with it in Mr. Matthews' history class.

"Guilt. Pity. Whatever you want to call it. I don't want it. I don't need it. I'm fine." She turned back to her food. Her heart continued to pound. It hurt. Everything began to ache even more. What was she doing? She wanted him here with her and here he was. No…no…he deserved better. Better than what she could offer. Better than whatever Missy Bradford had offered him, too. He deserved someone who was…perfect. Just like how he was.

"Riley, that's not at all-"

"Lucas...I just..." she sighed, "I need to eat, ok?" It hurt. Being around him hurt. She couldn't have him. He'd wake up one day and realized what a screwed up weirdo she really was. He would leave, and it would hurt even more than it did now. Even if he couldn't see it, she knew she did the right thing. She knew how he felt. She knew how he would eventually feel. There was just one thing about her logic that she knew was flawed—that pain that would be worse later on…she couldn't imagine anything worse than how that pain had felt in the last few weeks. It hurt so much sometimes that she felt like she couldn't breathe. Why didn't anyone warn her about how much love could completely destroy someone? _'Oh yeah,'_ she thought, _'Gatsby and Daisy.'_ Love sucked.

Deflated, but not defeated, Lucas nodded as he stood up, and went back over to his table. She wasn't willing to talk now, but that didn't mean he was going to give up on her. Riley Matthews wasn't going to get away from him that easily.

Maya watched the whole exchange in disbelief. Lucas was practically begging Riley to let him help her, but Riley just dismissed him? Maya would've killed for the chance for Josh to look at her like that again. Riley had it—could have it—but she chose to push him away…again. "Why did you do that? You know he wasn't asking you out of guilt."

Riley raised an eyebrow at her. "Do I?" She couldn't believe Maya was starting a fight with her right now. Could she not have five minutes of peace in her life?

Maya wasn't going to back down. "Yes. You know he loves you. You know he wants to be with you. Why are you acting like this?" It annoyed her that Riley was treating Lucas so dismissively. As someone who had been recently dismissed by a Matthews, Maya knew how much it hurt. The worst part of it all was that Maya knew Riley still loved him. And he loved her. He was willing to do anything for her, and Riley just dismissed him. It wasn't right.

"He deserves better, Maya." Riley didn't want to talk about him anymore. It hurt too much. Couldn't Maya see that?

Maya sat her fork down so she could rub her temples for a moment. She loved Riley like a sister, but she was being completely unreasonable when it came to this. She understood that she was going to be upset about not being able to dance, but to completely give up on love? It wasn't something her best friend would do. She was a shell of her former self, and Maya had enough of this version of her. "You're ridiculous, Riley. You have something real right in front of you. You can have it if you want to, but you decide to run away from it."

"I can't run, Maya," Riley's eyes started to tear up, "I can't run, I can't jump, I can't twirl...I can't even walk right now. Add in everything else that's going on, I...I'm just...I'm not good for anyone right now, even myself. I can't even stand myself right now, so I know no one else could." She pushed her tray away before she tried to wheel herself away. She wasn't going to deal with this in the middle of the cafeteria. She just wanted to go home. Go home and never come back to this stupid school.

Maya sighed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to be anyone's burden, Maya. Even yours." After struggling for a moment, she realized that Maya had put the brake on her wheelchair. Riley tried to lean over to unlock it, but couldn't reach it.

"Riley, you aren't my burden. You're just stubborn. Your whole family is." She began to stand up to help her when Riley threw her hand up to stop her.

"Maya, don't. If you can't support me, then what's the point?"

"Support you? I've done everything for you," she yelled over the loud cafeteria. The whole cafeteria fell silent, but Maya didn't notice. "I've lied to everyone for you. I've bent over backwards for you the last few weeks. And I did it willingly because I love you. You are my sister. Don't you dare tell me I don't support you. The guy I've been in love with my whole life left me because of you," she continued to yell. Her words echoed through the quiet lunchroom. All eyes were on them. Maya looked around at everyone for a moment before she moved to grab her stuff. Once she had everything, she turned to face her friend. "Fine, Riley. Stay mad. Hate life. You're right. I'm not going to support that." She hurried away from the table, leaving a stunned Riley Matthews.

Josh and Lucas, along with the rest of the school it seemed, witnessed the exchange. After Maya left, both guys stood up. Josh looked at Lucas who gazed at Riley. "Lucas?"

"We should go over there," Lucas turned to grab his things.

"I think it would be better if it was just me," Josh glanced at his sister who had her head buried in her hands. He turned back to Lucas who looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Just. Trust me, ok? Things are awkward with you two, and I'm not sure if it would get any better if you go over there."

He made sense; Lucas had to admit. It didn't make him feel any better about not trying to console Riley, but the last thing he wanted was to push her too far, especially after Maya's outburst. As much as he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and take her far away from everything, he knew he couldn't. He took a deep breath before he nodded at his best friend. He watched Josh go over to her table. He watched him hug her and saw her cling on to him. Lucas took another breath. He would respect whatever she wanted from him, even if it was nothing. She didn't need that kind of pressure from him…not now.

As they pulled back from their hug, Josh wiped a few of his sister's tears off of her face. "You ok?"

Riley sniffed as she tried to compose herself. "How do I keep screwing things up? Everyone hates me now...even Maya."

He sighed. "I'm sure she doesn't hate you Riley. No one does."

"I hate myself, Josh. I really do. How can I expect anyone to be able to stand me if I can't stand myself?" She knew she complained more than usual, but she was trying to get adjusted to her new world…a world she didn't know how to function in yet. She thought Maya would understand that.

He shook his head. "It'll get better." It had to. Riley didn't deserve any of this. Neither did Lucas. Neither did Maya. Neither did he. They were the good kids. Ok, the occasional party aside, they were all good kids. Yes, Riley had gotten into something serious that needed to be worked out, but did they all deserve to be punished because of a car accident that was just that? An accident?

"How do you know that?"

He gave her a smile. "I'm your big brother. I know everything." He leaned down to unlock the brake on her wheelchair before he moved behind her to help her get to chemistry.

"You don't have to help me," she said as they began to head toward the exit.

"I know. I want to, Riley. It's ok to need help, you know. You don't always have to be strong."

"I'm not strong at all...clearly." She looked down. She couldn't even walk to class. How was that for strength?

"You're the strongest person I know. Even strong people falter sometimes. It's how you react to it that matters."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

_**A/N: I just want to thank all of you guys for your continued support of this story and me. I've heard that some of you have even recommended this story to some other GMW fans. To me, that's the highest compliment I could ever hope to receive. It seriously made me tear up. I hope I do you all proudly with this (and my other) fics. I read every single review you guys write and I take them all to heart. You guys are truly amazing. I hope you enjoy this.**_

 _ **Note: there is some light swearing in this part.**_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

Three weeks later…

Lucas was one of the last members of the football team to hit the showers after practice on Thursday. He wanted to get in a few more drills with one of the assistant coaches because he wasn't sure his accuracy down field was where it needed to be. As he entered the locker room, he immediately heard his name. Curious as to what was being said about him, he moved behind the row of lockers that a few of the players were gathered in front of.

"He's just completely whipped, man," he heard one of them say. He couldn't quite make out which players were talking. He considered just ignoring them and heading toward the showers when he heard Riley's name.

"Because of Riley Matthews," he heard another player ask. "She's crippled, dude. There is no way he is still hung up on her." Lucas clenched his jaw as he started to feel the former version of himself begin to creep up inside.

"I heard he's dating Missy Bradford now," a third player added in.

"He's better off," the first guy chimed in. "Riley is so weird. Yeah, she's Josh's sister, but she never partied with us, even when the parties were at her house. She always has her nose in a book when she's not off doing that dance shit somewhere."

Lucas felt the veins on his neck begin to stick out as he clenched his helmet in his right hand. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself down.

"That's not the worst part," the second guy began to say, "I heard that Riley's anorexic or something. My sister told me that's what all the girls were saying."

The third guy laughed. "What a freak."

Lucas snapped. He slammed his helmet on the bench behind him before he stomped over to where the guys were still laughing over the comment. Their laughter ended abruptly as all three saw Lucas march towards them. He said nothing; the fire in his eyes spoke volumes to the now trembling athletes. Lucas walked around them before he turned to face them. The guys quickly back up against the lockers. Lucas stood there for a long moment, a thousand thoughts running through his head. None of the scenarios that entered his brain ended with any of those guys leaving the locker room conscious. As he stood there, some part of him tried to calm down. That part got quickly quieted as the sheer rage Lucas felt in that moment took over. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he seethed, "but did I just hear you three laughing about Riley Matthews? Not to mention spreading vicious rumors about her?" He folded his arms across his chest as he waited for them to answer. He reasoned that by doing so, he wouldn't be as tempted to wrap his hands around their necks before he got an answer.

"N-N-No," one of them stammered.

Lucas took a step closer to the one who spoke. He recognized it as the voice that called Riley a freak. He stared at him for a long moment. "I guess I misunderstood," he said slowly. He turned to act like he was going to walk away, but quickly turned back to the group as he pinned the third guy completely against the lockers. Lucas balled up his fist as he leaned back and swung, connecting his fist with the locker right next to the guy's head.

"Hey," Josh yelled as he walked into the locker room from the showers. He walked up to the group. Lucas didn't acknowledge him at all, his eyes staring holes into the guy in front of him. "What the hell is going on?" He looked at the quivering players and at Lucas who looked positively murderous. "Lucas?"

Lucas didn't speak for a moment as he considered how badly he was going beat them each to a pulp. When he realized that Josh wasn't going to back off, he decided to answer him. "These guys decided it would be hilarious to laugh at what happened to Riley." He felt his arm twitch as he spoke. "They then decided it would be brilliant to spread a rumor about her and laugh about how much of a…what did you call her," he took another step toward the pinned player, "A freak, was it?"

One of the other players decided to speak up. "We didn't mean anything by it, Lucas."

Josh swallowed as he tried to process what had happened. "It was what…just locker room talk, right?"

The guy, thinking Josh was being reasonable about the whole situation was quick to agree. "Yes, just locker room talk. Josh, we weren't serious about it."

Josh looked at the three guys before he looked at Lucas again. He looked back at the guys. "That's my sister you guys were talking about. _My_ sister, who I'll defend to the death. I should let Lucas kill you for talking about her like that, especially after the hell she's been through," he paused as he relished in the pure fear in their eyes, "But I'm not going to do that," he let out a breath.

"Y-You're not," the first guy asked hopefully. He had never been so scared in his whole life. He swore to God right then and there if Lucas would just back off, that he would never talk badly about anyone ever again. He would volunteer at a soup kitchen. He would help the elderly cross the street. He'd do all that and more if he could just make it out of that locker room alive.

Josh ignored him as he laid a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "They aren't worth getting expelled over," he nudged him back a few steps. He looked at the three guys. "You guys have about 5 seconds before I take my hand off his shoulder and he's free to do whatever he wants."

The three guys, two only clad in gym shorts and all three barefoot, scrambled to get out of the locker room. After they left, Josh removed his hand from Lucas's shoulder. "You ok?"

Lucas moved to lean back against the lockers, his temper still boiled, but the rational side of him started to seep back slowly into his brain. "You should've heard them, Josh. The way they talked about her."

"She wouldn't want you to get kicked out of school for her." Josh sat down on the bench in front of the lockers. He looked up at the dent in front of him. "Jesus. You did that?"

Lucas ignored the question, his thoughts fixed squarely on Riley. "She doesn't deserve that. She doesn't deserve some assholes talking about her like that." He clenched his fist.

"And you don't deserve to get kicked out of school for it, either." Josh had never seen anything like it. Lucas was one of the nicest guys he had ever met, but not two minutes ago, even Josh was a little scared of him. "You know she wouldn't want that."

"You sure about that?" He turned to sit next to Josh. He took a deep breath as reason started to come back fully to him. He looked down as his bloodied fist. "Maybe it would be better if I wasn't around."

"I know we haven't talked much about…well, our girl problems." He looked down at his hands. "It's just not what we do…talk about feelings and stuff…you know cause we're guys."

Lucas cracked a smile. "I get it, Josh." He looked at him. "What's your point?"

"I know my sister," he paused as he tried to think of a way to not give Lucas a false sense of hope, but to let him know that he shouldn't dismiss the idea of them all together. "Once she believes something, she doesn't let go so easily. Normally, it's a good trait to have, but in this instance, not so much. She's stubborn, but let's face it, my whole family is." He stood up as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's come a long way since the accident. She smiles now. She even laughs. She's moving on from it."

Lucas nodded. "I'm glad."

"So, if you love her, and from what I just saw, it's fairly obvious that you do…don't give up on her just yet. She's coming out of it."

* * *

Riley laid in her bed, headphones on, as she worked on her homework. She had to admit that it was a lot easier to get her homework done without having to worry about dance class or being up past midnight most nights. She really enjoyed going to bed at ten every night. She wouldn't dare admit it to herself just yet, but part of her was starting to feel relieved that something gave in. Trying to balance everything was too much. Maybe she was starting to gain some clarity. Her heart was still broken over what had happened, but maybe, just maybe, she was starting to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Therapy had helped a lot more than she initially thought it would. It was nice to be able to talk to someone, and somehow, Dr. Coast seemed to understand exactly how she felt. She worked very closely with her dietician to come up with a recovery plan that Riley and her parents agreed to. Most of Riley's sessions were one-on-one, but her parents did join on one session every two weeks. Dr. Coast seemed pleased with Riley's progress, but she wasn't nearly as happy as Riley herself. Even though she knew she would be in therapy at least until she hit her goal weight and got through physical therapy, she began to feel more like herself—the girl who loved to eat popcorn when her family had game nights, the girl who loved to grab second's of her mom's meatloaf, the girl who didn't see food as the enemy.

If one good thing came out of this whole ordeal, besides getting the help she needed, Riley felt a lot closer to both of her parents. She always had a special bond with her father, but she was beginning to feel a connection with both of her parents on a deeper level. She had spent most of her time with them over the last few weeks. Sadly, Riley and Maya hadn't spoken since that day in the cafeteria. Riley wasn't sure how to talk to Maya about it all. She missed her best friend, but she also knew that she felt the way she did for a reason. Until she could explore it, she wasn't sure apologizing for no reason would be the best thing for their friendship. She missed Maya more than anything in the world. It was hard going through her school day without speaking to her.

Josh sat with her a lunch, a few of the other jock guys joined, but not Lucas. Riley wasn't sure why he decided to stay away. She was torn on how she felt about it. On one hand, she was grateful for the space—it gave her time to think. On the other hand, a part of her ached to be able to talk to him about everything again—even her therapy sessions. It was weird. She pushed him away so she wouldn't be the one to get hurt, but every time she snuck a glance at him, her heart ached. She wasn't entirely sure what she should do. She heard that he and Missy were dating. She considered asking her brother about it, but decided not to. She wasn't ready to process the idea of Lucas and her, and Riley knew her brother would jump to that conclusion if she asked. So, she was stuck. She decided that she would just assume they were dating. It made things easier…even though it made her heart hurt like hell. She sighed as she sat her pen down. Who was she kidding? Her mind was as far away from her schoolwork as it could get. She was too busy thinking about her ex-boyfriend and her estranged best friend. She looked up when she heard someone knock on her door. "Come in," she called, grateful for the distraction from her own thoughts.

Cory poked his head in. "Hey sweetie."

"Hey," she gave him a small smile. Her dad was like superman to her. She knew she had disappointed them both with what she did, but neither one of her parents yelled at her, screamed at her, or even punished her for it. They were simply there for her—through every tear, through every bitter moment Riley had. Now that Riley was beginning to see the bigger picture, she saw clearly how amazing her parents really were.

Cory matched his smile to his daughter's. Even though he had three children, Riley was his only daughter. The bond they had was something Cory cherished from the moment the doctor put her in his arms after she was born. They weren't exactly alike, but they were definitely cut from the same cloth. "Can I come in?"

She nodded.

As he walked in her room, he closed the door behind him. "How's it going?"

"It's going," she looked at the books scattered across her bed. "I'm almost done and it's only," she glanced at her alarm clock. "7:30. Wow. Normally I wouldn't even be home yet."

Cory nodded as he sat at the foot of her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore. I'm tired of sitting. I'm not used to it."

"I'm sure it's a big adjustment." He paused. They had some group therapy sessions, but Cory had desperately wanted to speak with her about it without anyone else around, even his wife. "What about the other stuff?"

As she started therapy, Riley didn't want to discuss her 'condition' with anyone but her therapist. She was embarrassed by it. She knew that hurt her parents, but they respected her wishes. Now that she was several sessions in, and beginning to gain clarity, she wanted to open up to her family about it. She knew they had questions. Riley didn't have all of the answers, she knew she might never get all of the answers, but she did know that she was willing to open herself up to them. It was a big step. One she felt that she was ready for. "I'm doing better. It's hard sometimes, but the counseling is helping so much. Mom's cooking is helping, too."

Cory was glad that she seemed willing to talk to him about this. He had a million questions for her, but he knew how hard this simple step was for her. He didn't meant to push it, but he had to know. "So…no trips to the bathroom?"

Riley shook her head. Her father was being blunt, and even though at one point the question would have immediately turned her to tears, she actually felt completely comfortable talking with him about it. "I only did that a few times," she confessed. "I hated it. I hate...that. I've only felt like doing that a few times since the accident, and definitely not in the last few weeks, but I keep reminding myself that it's the worst thing I've ever put my body through. I keep thinking about how I felt when I did that. I felt disgusting. I felt like a freak. I felt like I wasn't worth anything in the world. I felt that I wasn't good enough. I knew it wasn't right. I knew it wasn't...healthy. I just wanted to make everything I wanted to come true. I want to be healthy, daddy."

Cory felt relieved, and not just by her answer. Riley had actually opened up to him. It was the first time since the accident. His eyes watered as he thought about it. His little girl was going to be ok. They still had a long road ahead of them, but she was strong, she was willing, and most importantly, she was open about it. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I'm proud of you."

Riley had heard a lot of things from her parents the last month, but she hadn't heard that. She had dreamed of this moment—the moment that her father would look at her with actual pride in his eyes again. She thought it would be a lot longer until she got that look from him. "For what? I haven't done anything."

He had seen her dance a thousand dances it felt like. He had seen her bring home A after A on her report card, yet he knew those moments paled in comparison to this one. "You've come so far in the last few weeks." He was worried when he heard about the fight she had with Maya. Maya was always Riley's rock. It felt like you couldn't have Riley without having Maya too. He thought for sure that Riley would sink further into her depression. Instead, she surprised everyone. She focused on her treatment, followed her dietician's plan to a 't' and seemed to be really invested in her time with her therapist. Though she had made significant progress, he saw the tension in his class with Maya. It wasn't right. They had been friends for most of their lives. He wasn't about to stand around and watch their friendship deteriorate completely over one argument. So, he had waited. He waited to see if they would resolve their argument on their own. When they hadn't, Cory, the master of schemes, decided to intervene. "So…still not talking to Maya?"

Riley looked away from him. Three weeks. Three weeks without her best friend. It felt like a lifetime. She felt so comfortable speaking with her father about her eating disorder, but Maya…that was another issue completely. It killed Riley to see Maya every day and not talk to her. She just didn't know how to apologize for something she wasn't completely sorry for. Maya and she had always kept things honest between them. As much as Riley wanted to talk to her, she didn't want to lie to her just to resolve their argument. "She won't talk to me."

Something out of the corner of Cory's eyes caught his attention. He looked up and saw a flash of blonde hair by Riley's window. Right on time. For once. "Oh yeah?" Unable to keep the smile off of his face any longer, he walked over to the window and opened it. "Hey Maya."

"Hey Mr. Matthews," she said as she climbed into the window.

Riley sat there confused. Three weeks without hearing anything from her and here she was...right in front of her as her father and her were talking about their fight? "What are you doing here?" She honestly didn't care why Maya was there, she just wanted her to tell her that everything was ok, that they were ok. She missed her best friend more than words could ever say.

Maya just wanted to sprint toward her best friend and give her a hug. She wanted to curl up with her and watch chick flicks, eat ice cream, and talk about the last three weeks without one another. When Cory asked her to come over to see Riley, Maya was apprehensive. Things were so awkward between them, but at the end of the day, Maya knew that this would be the opportunity to make things right between them. He also mentioned that Riley had missed her and wanted to make things better between them. Maya practically leapt at the opportunity. She really missed her best friend. "Your dad said you wanted to talk to me," Maya turned to Cory for confirmation.

Riley looked at her father. "Dad?" Even though she hadn't said the words to him, to anyone, she did want to talk to Maya. As well as she was doing with everything, she knew she could be doing so much better if she had her best friend with her.

Cory looked between them. "You two need to talk. You've been inseparable since you were babies. Don't let this ruin that. You both miss each other. I see it every day in class." He said nothing more as he left Riley's room.

Both girls were silent for a long time. Neither knew what to say or how to say it. They had never fought, not like this.

"How are you?" Maya knew someone had to say something. She figured that would be the easiest way to get the conversation started.

"I'm doing a lot better than I was before." She looked over at the blonde. "How are you?"

"I'm better than I was before," she gave her a small smile.

Riley knew it was her move. As she looked at her best friend, things began to click for her. She wasn't sorry for feeling how she felt at the time. A lot of what she said to her was issues that she was still struggling with. She was, however, sorry for not considering how Maya felt. Riley knew she was going through a break up too, and even though Riley had constantly thought about ways to make Josh understand the situation, she hadn't understood why Maya got so upset when Riley refused Lucas's help. She knew Maya didn't understand because Riley wasn't entirely open with Maya about how she felt. Maybe Maya wasn't completely open with her about how she felt about Josh? "Maya, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, ok? I just...a lot's happened in a very short amount of time, and I just...I-"

"It's ok," Maya moved to sit on the bed across from Riley. She had thought a lot about the brunette in the last three weeks. She didn't know what Riley was dealing with. She knew that there were better ways to discuss everything with her instead of just blowing up in the middle of the cafeteria. No matter how frustrated she got with Riley, Riley didn't deserve that. "I'm sorry too. I can't stand seeing you like this...so defeated. It's just a setback. It doesn't have to dictate your life."

Riley reached her hand toward Maya's. "I'm learning that…finally."

Maya squeezed Riley's hand. "You have no idea how happy that makes me." They were quiet for a moment as they both started to feel the familiarity of their friendship coming back to them. "How's the other thing going?"

"I've gained 5 pounds in the last three weeks," she smiled. "The doctor wants me to gain at least 15 more." She had a long way to go, but she was pretty proud of those five pounds. She never thought she would be happy to gain weight, but she felt like a new person. With every pound she gained, she actually felt lighter, happier. It was a weird sensation, but one Riley could definitely get used to.

Maya looked her over. She couldn't tell a big difference because it was only 5 pounds, but Maya did notice the color had come back in Riley's cheeks. It was also Riley's demeanor that Maya noticed. She seemed more relaxed, more carefree…more like the Riley Maya knew and loved the best. "You look better."

"I feel better. I have a few restrictions, but for the most part, it's a license to eat and mom has been cooking a lot lately."

"I miss you, Riley."

"I miss you too. Can we please get past this? I miss my best friend."

Maya grinned. "Absolutely."

* * *

As Cory turned to begin teaching his last class of the day, he noticed immediately that someone was missing. Two someones to be exact. He looked over at Maya. "Maya? Where are Riley and Farkle?"

Maya shrugged. "I don't know, sir. Last time I saw her, Farkle was wheeling her to chemistry class."

"We're here," Riley called out sadly as Farkle pushed her into the classroom. The whole class except for Lucas and Cory laughed at their appearance.

"Riley, Farkle. What happened," Cory eyed them both. They were both covered head to toe in soot and water, and Cory also noticed Farkle didn't have any eyebrows.

"Well," Riley let out a breath as Farkle pushed her to her desk. He moved to sit behind her. "We were in the chem lab and Farkle was trying to light the bunson burner." This was more embarrassing than the other incident at the beginning of the school year. Poor Farkle lost his eyebrows because of her. Riley still couldn't believe what happened.

"Ok…."

"Well, it wasn't lighting, so I thought he needed more gas, so I turned it up." It seemed logical to her. If it wasn't striking the way it needed to, maybe it didn't have enough gas. "Farkle was too close to it and…"

"And the flame burned my eyebrows off," Farkle finished. "We were late because we've been in the nurse's office getting checked out." One day he would laugh about all of this. The day probably wouldn't come until his eyebrows grew back out. He loved Riley, but tutoring her on top of being her lab partner was starting to take a toll on him. They had been friends forever, but it was something about working with her all the time—they obviously had no chemistry together, no pun intended.

"So, why are you both wet," Maya asked as she saw Riley try to wring out her hair.

"The sprinklers went off." Riley wanted to die right then and there of embarrassment. In that moment, she didn't care what everyone else in the classroom thought of her, but even though she was in a wheelchair, and she knew he had seen her in a far worse condition before, she did not want Lucas to see her like that. She was a complete mess.

"And no one told me?" Cory was torn. On the one hand, it was a pretty funny story, but his more protective instincts quickly kicked in quickly as he thought about how serious this could have been. This couldn't go on.

"I told them not to," Riley sighed. "I'm fine. It's Farkle that got hurt." She tried to turn around the best she could so she could look him in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Farkle." She felt awful about what happened. She knew he could've really gotten hurt. She never would've forgiven herself. She wasn't sure what to do though. She needed help with chemistry. No offense to Maya, but she was worse at science than Riley was. The tutoring center didn't offer chemistry, so she couldn't get help that way either. It was a mess. Riley tried to rub the soot off of her face. _'A dirty, wet mess,'_ she thought.

Farkle knew Riley didn't do it on purpose. He knew she felt guilty about it. It was all just a horrible miscommunication. "They'll grow back."

Cory looked at the two of them for a long moment. Something had to change. This was absolutely ridiculous. He glanced over at Maya. Maya wouldn't be able to help. Science wasn't her strong suit either. He looked behind her at Lucas. "Ok, you four," he gestured to Riley, Farkle, Maya, and Lucas, "I want to see you all after class."

* * *

Cory knew this conversation wasn't going to go over too well with his daughter, but he wasn't going to risk her safety anymore. She could stay mad at him all she wanted, but at least he knew she would be safe. "Lucas?"

Lucas wasn't exactly sure why Cory wanted to see the four of them. He had hoped that word of his outburst in the locker room hadn't reached him. He knew Josh wouldn't say anything, and although he thought the three football players he almost killed wouldn't say anything out of pure fear, he still wasn't completely sure that Cory hadn't found out some other way. After all, there was a rumor going around school about Riley's eating disorder that he knew none of the people who actually knew about it would start. "Sir?"

Cory's eyes ticked to Riley and then back at Lucas. "Are you still willing to tutor Riley in chemistry?"

"Dad, I—"

"Riley," he interrupted, "I was speaking with Mr. Friar." He looked back at Lucas.

"I am," Lucas didn't hesitate. He had waited patiently for over a month for this: for this chance, for this opportunity to be around her again. He waited for the chance to maybe strike up a conversation, then maybe a friendship. Yes, he still loved her. No, that wasn't about to change any time soon. He knew her though. He knew she wasn't ready for all of that. No, Lucas just wanted the chance to be there for her…to prove to her that she was worthy of everything she wanted out of life. He needed to be there for her. It was everything he had dreamed about since the accident…since she had pushed him away.

"Good." He turned to Farkle and Riley. "Something about you two in chemistry class isn't working out. Now, before things get completely out of hand, Farkle, you don't have to tutor Riley any more. If you want, I'll speak with Mr. Brian to see if you can switch partners."

"It's not that sir," Farkle spoke, "I think it's just the tutoring. When Lucas was tutoring Riley, we were fine in class together."

He couldn't argue with that because it was true. Everyone had seemed to work well together. Riley made As in chemistry and Farkle…well, Farkle still had eyebrows. "Very well. Farkle, you're dismissed."

Cory waited to speak until Farkle had left the room. That poor guy. He would do anything for Riley and Maya. He just never knew how much that would actually be tested. He tried not to crack a smile at the thought of seeing him without eyebrows for the first time. He cleared his throat, a serious expression on his face. "Now, Mr. Friar, you have practice every day but Wednesdays, correct?"

Lucas nodded. "We get out of practice between 6 and 7 the other nights."

"How many nights a week were you tutoring her before?"

"Two."

"Ok, let's start there then. How about Mondays and Wednesdays? I know you do your homework with Josh most evenings anyway. Maybe you can take two hours each of those evenings to work with Riley?"

Lucas tried to remain stoic. "I'd be happy too." Inwardly, he was doing backflips like he had just scored the winning touchdown in a championship game. He actually had the urge to thank Cory for it, but decided against it. He didn't want to push Riley further than her father already was.

Riley glanced back at Lucas. After a beat, his eyes moved to hers. She quickly turned her head back to face the blackboard. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. One look from him and her heart still fluttered.

Cory had previously thought about interfering with Lucas and Riley. He talked himself out of it more times than he could count, but this seemed to be a win-win for everyone. Riley would get the tutoring she needed, Farkle wouldn't get injured anymore, Lucas would be able to get the chance to speak with his daughter, and Cory would be able to sleep at night knowing that his daughter wasn't in immediate danger in the chemistry lab every day. "Thank you, Lucas. You're free to go."

Riley couldn't look at him as he left the room. She was too embarrassed about this whole situation. "Dad," she practically shrieked after the door closed behind Lucas.

"Riley," he mimicked. "You fried Farkle's eyebrows today. What if something worse happened? Look, I know you have your issue with him, but you were much better at chemistry when he was helping you with your homework, so whatever personal issues you two have, you'll have to get past them." _'And hopefully work them out.'_

She was officially angry with her father. Riley knew deep down that it was getting dangerous working with Farkle, but this was unbelievable. She couldn't believe her father. It was one thing to meddle with the situation between Maya and her. It was quite another to drag Lucas back into her crazy world. He had just escaped it. Riley was sure he felt trapped and obligated to tutor her.

Sure, she was starting to feel better. Her therapy sessions were helping her to realize that she was being completely self-destructive. She was able to tap into her insecurities and was able to explore them. Was she fixed? No. Did she think about skipping a meal or two? Sure. Was she going to? Hell no. Her biggest breakthrough was when she realized that she didn't want to feel like that anymore. She didn't want to feel inadequate. She wanted to be confident in who she was. She knew what she wanted. She just had to get there. Riley starred daggers at her father's back while he cleaned the blackboard. "Dad...why?"

He turned around. "Why what," he asked innocently.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Riley, something bad happened to you. You reacted in the way that most people would. You're trying to take back your life now. I'm helping you do that."

"You helped with Maya and me, and I'm grateful for that, but Lucas..." she sighed, "It's not going to work. We're just different." ' _Too different. He's perfect, and that's just not who I am or who I want to be,'_ she thought to herself.

"No," he sighed. He thought he would never had this conversation with his daughter, but there were a few things she needed to know, and he knew that if those things came from him, she might just listen. "You're still Riley. He's still Lucas. I was so scared of two together because I saw something between you two from day one."

Riley wasn't sure she was ready for this conversation. Although she wasn't sure what her father was about to say, she also knew that she was at the point where she needed to hear it-hear something-someone's opinion on it. Sure, she had spoken about Lucas to Dr. Coast a few times, but Dr. Coast didn't know him. Her father did. She knew he would be completely honest with her when it came to Lucas. "What did you see, dad?"

"Your mother and myself." He moved to sit on the edge of his desk, so he was eye to eye with his daughter. "Of course, you two are different than us, but it's the connection, that spark. It's rare in this world, Riley. You need to fight for it, not push it away. You don't know when or even if you'll find it again. I know it's scary. You're so young. Your mother and I were younger. We tested one another time and time again until we realized that it doesn't matter when you meet that one person you're supposed to be with. You just need to fight to hold on to it." He saw that spark between them from the start. He tried to shield her from it, to make her stay his little girl for just a little while longer. He knew now that was wrong. He looked over at Maya who simply stared at the ground. "The same goes for you."

Maya didn't look up. She had tried to bury her heartache. She wasn't over Josh. She wasn't sure she would ever be. He still hadn't spoken to her, or even glanced in her direction. As every day ticked by, Maya's hopes of reconciliation with him deteriorated more and more. "The situation is a little different for me, sir," she said softly.

He raised an eyebrow at her even though he knew her gaze was fixed on the floor. "Is it? What have you done to fight for it? To fight for love?"

Maya tore her eyes away from the floor to look at the man who was like a father to her. She needed fatherly advice and here he was, giving it to her. "He won't even look at me, let alone talk to me."

"Have you tried, Maya? Have you really tried?"


	15. Chapter Fourteen

_**A/N: Hopefully this will be the last of the really clunky chapters. This has taken me two weeks to work through. I've come to the conclusion that I can't write Joshaya. At all. Not sure why, cause I ship them. Better things are on the horizon in this story. Stick with me guys. Please?**_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

"I'm going on crutches," Riley squealed as she nearly jumped out of her wheelchair. She couldn't believe it. She was three weeks ahead of schedule. Three whole weeks. She couldn't wait to share the news with her best friend. Maya had barely shut the door behind her when Riley spilled her news.

Cory chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm. He was so happy to see that smile again. Though she had made so much progress in the last few months, he couldn't believe that he was actually seeing her real smile while she was still in her wheelchair. He loved every second of it. He glanced at Maya. "Hey Maya."

Maya's grin matched that of her best friend. "Hey, Mr. Matthews," she said as she walked into the living room. She faced her best friend. "When?"

"They're taking this stupid thing off next week." Riley watched her dad walk out of the room to give them a little privacy to talk. "They're putting a more flexible cast on, and said I can start to use crutches. I'll still need the wheelchair in case my left leg gets tired from supporting most of my weight, but it's a step. In about a month, I'll start physical therapy on it to try to rebuild strength." Things were progressing quicker than anyone had expected. Riley had followed every doctors' orders to a "t". She was completely thrilled at the idea that she might be able to be completely rid of the cast in another month or two.

Maya took a seat on the Matthews' couch next to where Riley sat in her chair. "And dance?"

Riley's smile deflated slightly. "The doctor still says I won't be back to where I was, but…Maya…that might not be a bad thing." She couldn't believe she had actually said it. It had been in the back of her mind for awhile now, but to actually verbalize it made it feel real.

"Really?" Maya was surprised. Sure Riley had talked about dance less and less over the last few weeks, but was she actually willing to give up on what she had dreamed of for so long? Maya had to admit she was a little worried for her friend. Was her depression coming back? Looking at her, it didn't appear like that was the case.

"Yeah...I've been thinking a lot about life over the last few months. I love dance, don't get me wrong, but the pressure, the time, all of it...was the reason I got sick. I don't want to feel like that again. I want to dance for fun. I don't think I want it to be my life anymore." Therapy helped with that realization. Most of her anxiety stemmed from the pressure she put on herself. That pressure made her stop eating. That pressure made her unhappy. She loved dance, that was still there, but that competitiveness, she despised.

"Really?" Maya still couldn't believe it. She definitely didn't seem depressed. In fact, she seemed better than she had seen her in a very long time. The sparkle in her eyes was coming back. She was starting to become Riley again. It was the best news Maya had heard in a very long time.

She nodded. "I've learned a lot about myself the last few months, Maya. I'm starting to feel stronger." Riley was excited about this new world. She didn't feel bitter anymore. She didn't feel like a freak. It didn't happen all at once. She felt the pieces moving together ever since her first therapy session. When she heard that she was strong enough to move to crutches, everything finally seemed to click together. She was going to have a beautiful life. One that would be her's. She was done being bitter about it all.

"You look stronger."

Both girls turned to the door when they heard it opened. "Hey," Riley greeted to her brother. _'Right on time,'_ she thought. Sure she wanted to share her news with Maya in person, but she also had a scheme up her sleeve. She was tired of seeing her brother and her best friend miserable. It was time for them to talk…whether they wanted to or not.

Josh's smile faltered when he saw Maya sitting in the living room. Of all the people he thought to see when he came home, she was honestly one of the last. He knew she was avoiding him. He took a deep breath as he walked closer toward the girls, throwing his gym bag on the floor. "Hey. How was the appointment?"

She smiled. "They're taking this thing off next week. I'm getting crutches."

Josh chuckled. "Look out world. Riley Matthews is going to be mobile again." His eyes shifted over to the blonde. He wasn't sure what to say, or even if he should say anything to her. She seemed uncomfortable to be in the same room with him. He hated that. He hated this whole situation. "Hey," he finally decided to say.

Maya nodded. "Hey." This was awkward. This was painfully awkward. At that moment, Maya wished that the couch would open up and devour her. She couldn't stand this. Riley was her best friend, and she would do just about anything to support her, but this was too much. Josh and her had never been this awkward and at a loss for words around one another. They never actively avoided each other, and that's exactly what they've been doing for the last few months. It was killing her. And this confrontation seemed so much worse than the avoidance.

Riley looked back and forth between them. "Guys, this is ridiculous." She turned to her brother. "You're miserable because you broke up with her for her doing what I begged her to do. None of this is Maya's fault. She and I have been friends a lot longer than you two dated. All she was doing was protecting me and for all she knew, I had stopped. If she thought I was still doing it, she would've told mom, dad, and you." When he didn't react at all to what she said, Riley decided to try one last tactic. It was a desperate one, but she knew it would work. "Josh, come on. You've been sulking around here since it happened. You're better with her." She turned to Maya. "And you. It's the same thing. Remember what my dad said in class." She looked at both of them. "When you have something like what the two of you have, you need to fight for it. I'm not going to be the reason my best friend and my brother are miserable. I'm tired of it. My birthday is coming up and all I want is for you two to talk." There. She had said it. Maybe not as eloquently as her father, but this was ridiculous. She knew if they just talked that things would repair themselves. She knew she was being hypocritical, but it was a completely different set of circumstances. And besides, Riley had heard all sorts of rumors about Lucas and Missy. _'Lucas.'_ The mere thought of him sent Riley into a tailspin. He was supposed to be over here any minute. Her heart started to race. She looked over at her brother. She had to focus on them. She was so close to getting them to have a conversation. At least she had managed to get them in the same room.

"Riley, I-"

"Josh, if you're trying to back out of this, I won't hear it. Look at her." She watched his eyes shift over to Maya. "You've been in love with her for as long as I can remember. Sure, you ran from it for as long as possible because she is your little sister's best friend, but love just doesn't stop because you want it to. When you have something like the two of you do, you fight for it. You hold onto it. You guys have an amazing connection. Don't let this...let me...come in between that."

Josh didn't say anything for a long time. He knew she was right. He knew that he had to try to make things right with Maya. "You're just like dad, you know that?"

Riley felt relieved. She half expected her brother to tell her to mind her own business or to ask about Lucas, but he didn't. She knew she had finally broken him. "It's my greatest strength."

"Can we talk," Maya asked him.

Josh hesitated. He was so sure that he ended things for the right reasons. She put Riley at risk by not saying anything, and she had kept something from him. He had to admit that Riley had a point. If Maya really thought Riley was still doing it, he knew she would speak up. He knew Maya, and it was the thought that she wasn't who he thought she was that scared him. "Let's go to my room."

As Riley watched her brother and best friend leave the living room, she smiled. The thing she felt the guiltiest about, the thing that kept her up at night, the thing that she spent a lot of time in therapy discussing, seemed to be working itself out. She looked around the empty room. He was going to be here soon. Happiness turned to panic. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to be around him without anyone else around. She had hoped at least her mother and Auggie would be here. But of course not. Of course today would be the day he would have practice after school for the Holiday play.

When she heard the door buzz, her heart leapt into her throat. She looked around the room and back at her leg. "Dad," she called. "The door!" When no one came, she wheeled herself over. By the time she reached the front door and the buzzer, she heard a knock on the front door. "Dad," she called again. When no one came, she wheeled herself toward the right side of doorframe where the doorknob was. She couldn't sit in front of it because she would block the door. She leaned over the best she could to turn the knob. As the door began to open, she felt her wheelchair roll backwards. Her hand still on the knob, she felt the chair leave her completely. She screamed and closed her eyes as she waited for the impact of the hardwood floor. When she didn't feel it, she slowly opened her eyes. There, right beside her, holding her, was Lucas.

"Are you ok," he asked as he moved inside of the apartment. He carried her over to where her wheelchair rolled to and gently placed her back in the chair.

"Yeah," she winced slightly. Instinctually, she had tried to stand up when she felt the chair slide out from her. Putting her weight on her hurt leg since a jolt of pain through her body. Maybe physical therapy was going to be a lot harder than she thought. "Thanks to you."

"It's no problem." He looked around as he wheeled her back into the living room. "Where is everyone?"

"I called for dad to help with the door, but I guess he didn't hear me. Josh and Maya are…talking." She still couldn't quite believe it.

"They are?" Lucas moved to sit on the couch next to where Riley sat. "Wow."

"Yeah." They were silent for a few moments, both unsure of what to say to the other. "Should we get started," Riley finally asked.

"Uh, yeah. Absolutely." He looked around the room as if he had never been in her apartment. "Do you want to go into the kitchen to work?"

"Yeah, I think that will be best."

* * *

Josh rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to figure out how to begin a conversation that should've been had two months ago. He had both dreamed and dreaded this moment. He wanted the chance to work things out with Maya, but at the same time, he still wasn't sure if things could be worked out. Both of them have been in a holding pattern. Both knew they needed to talk, neither knew how or where to begin. And now here they were, alone in the same room. Josh only thought of one thing to say. "How have you been?"

"Really? That's how you start this?" Truthfully, Maya wasn't sure where to begin either. The last two months have been weird for all of them. She wanted to talk to Josh about everything, try to make him understand that she was just trying to be supportive of Riley, but at the same time, Maya knew she should've spoken up. Riley was in trouble, and she didn't do much to get her help. She thought it would go away. She thought it had gone away. The guilt killed her. How could she make Josh believe it wasn't her fault when she felt like it really was?

Josh laughed nervously. He had never been nervous around Maya. Not even when he first asked her out. They had known one another most of their lives. Until that moment, nervousness never was a factor in their relationship. It was new territory for Josh. He hated it. "I figured it was as good of a place as any."

Maya considered his words for a moment. Sure, they could sit here for an hour and tip toe around the subject, but Maya didn't want to. She wanted to get this over with. She had waited long enough. "How about this? Josh, I never meant to keep something from you. I can't believe you would ever think that I would allow Riley to continuously hurt herself." As guilty as she felt about keeping Riley's secret, she also felt deeply hurt that Josh would think that she would allow Riley to hurt herself.

He wasn't prepared for her to be so blunt about it. After he recovered from her forwardness, he tried to compose his thoughts. He had thought about it all for two months. How was he supposed to put all of that into words? "I didn't think you would, but a lot of things happened at once. The accident, finding out that my sister has an eating disorder, finding out that you knew about it."

"I didn't, Josh. I knew she had a problem. She told me she stopped. She picked it up again, she told me stopped again. She begged me not to say anything and I told her I would keep her secret as long as she stopped. That girl," she gestured toward the direction of the living room, "is my sister, maybe not by blood, but you know how protective you are over her? Well, I'm ten times worse."

"I know." Josh saw the fire in her eyes. He knew that she would protect Riley til her last breath. She had always been like that. She would always be like that. Riley told him that Maya was only aware of that it had started again at the game. His sister also told him that she begged Maya to not say anything until they got back home. He was tired of being angry. He was the only one who still was. He wanted things to be better. He wanted to be with her. He loved her. It never stopped, not even for a second.

Maya hated how short he seemed to be with her. It was driving her crazy. She needed to get to the point while she still had the nerve to. "So what happens now?"

He swallowed as he felt his heart pound against his chest. The biggest question of them all. He knew what he wanted, who he wanted. Had too much time passed between them without talking about it? Did she see him as being too much of an ass now? "What do you want to happen?"

"I'm hurt by what happened." It hurt that he would just abandon their relationship instead of talking to her about it. It didn't seem like something Josh would do. Was their relationship so easy to toss aside?

Josh watched the emotions dance across Maya's face. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He felt like a complete jerk. "Maya, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I overreacted to it. I just—I didn't know what to do or what to say or how to react. There was so much going on at the time."

"I get that, Josh, but why has it taken us two months to talk about it? And even then, it's only because Riley begged us to? Maybe," she looked down at her hands. She couldn't believe was she was about to say, "Maybe we shouldn't get back together."

Josh walked over to where she sat at his desk. He crouched down in front of her as he took her hands into his own. "Maya," he waited til she looked at him before he continued, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was confused, hurt, and frustrated. I shouldn't have taken that out on you. I couldn't take it out on Riley because…you know. So I lashed out at you. You didn't deserve that. I've been a complete ass, but I wasn't sure how to begin to apologize for any of it. If you give me…give us another chance, I promise I'll make it up to you. Maya Hart, I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone," his voice cracked, his emotions getting the better of him. He swallowed to try to regain some composure. He didn't realize until then just how much the woman in front of him meant to him. He couldn't let her go. Not like this. Not ever if he had anything to say about it. "I'm sorry. Please…please forgive me."

* * *

"I don't understand," Riley sat her pen down on her book. "Farkle spent three hours trying to explain this to me, but you explained it perfectly clear in thirty minutes. How is that possible?" Was Farkle that bad a tutoring? No, couldn't be. He was one of the most requested tutors in the tutoring lab.

Lucas chuckled. "Apparently something isn't working between you two."

"You got that right." She ran a hand through her hair as she looked at her chemistry book. "I still can't believe I fried his eyebrows off."

"I can't believe Mr. Brian still lets you two work together."

"He didn't have a choice," Riley mumbled.

Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why?"

"No one would switch with us," she was embarrassed to say. When she looked over at Lucas, she could tell he was holding his laughter in. She started to chuckle, "For good reason, I guess." She laughed a little harder when Lucas began to laugh with her. Her laughter faded when she saw Maya and Josh walk into the living room. She eyed them for a moment as she tried to decipher their body language. "How did it go," she asked hopefully.

Josh and Maya looked at one another. "We worked it out," Josh replied as he put an arm around Maya.

"Yay," Riley smiled. The world was starting to set itself right again. She couldn't believe her plan actually worked. She definitely had to thank her father for that one. She was definitely her father's child.

"What's going on out here," Maya casually asked as she leaned against the kitchen table where Riley and Lucas were working.

"Just working on chemistry," Lucas told her.

"Did Riley tell you the good news," Josh asked as he opened the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"What news," Lucas looked at Riley. They had kept the small talk to a minimum as they worked on chemistry. He was tempted to ask her how she was doing, but didn't want to push things with her yet. He was sure she was still trying to get adjusted to having to be around him at all, let alone start making small talk with him.

She didn't want to talk about personal things with Lucas, not yet. She knew that if he kept tutoring her that they would eventually talk about their lives, it was only natural. She just wasn't prepared to do it this soon. "Oh...I'm going to start moving around on crutches next week."

He had to admit that he was a little hurt that she didn't tell him the news. They had been working on her homework for half an hour. She had plenty of time to mention it. He would brood on that later. At that moment, he was genuinely happy for her. It was a big step in her healing. He knew she had to be ecstatic about it. "That's great, Riley."

"So," Josh casually walked around Riley. He crouched down and put an arm around his sister. Eyeing her, he grinned. "When are you two going to talk?" Josh looked over at Lucas and raised an eyebrow.

They ignored him for a moment, but they couldn't do it for long. It was a question that both of them had thought about at least ten times since Lucas entered the apartment. They knew they would have to have some sort of conversation. Lucas was ready for it right then, but he knew Riley still wasn't. She was still very guarded. He was still willing to wait. As Josh stood back up, Riley and Lucas couldn't resist any longer-their eyes finally connected.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**_A/N: Is everyone surviving Texas ok? I'm good. Cried, but not because I think Rucas is over. I cried because so far, Texas is simply beautiful. It's very surreal to finally watch after months of speculation. I'm posting a lot of my reactions on twitter and ig, so if you have those, follow me on there if you want to. My user on both accounts is "ouat2011"._**

 ** _Itstwoeyes, your review made me cry. Seriously. I am so not worthy of that kind of praise. You made my day with that._**

 ** _Everyone: thank you all so much for supporting this story. We are almost at the end...about two or three chapters to go. I hope you all have enjoyed it. I have loved writing it._**

* * *

 _Coda: The last movement of the pas de deux where the dancers may appear together or separately._

Chapter Fifteen

Riley already regretted coming to school without her chair. It was her first day on crutches and she was adamant with her dad about not using the chair. She had been stuck in it for two months. She just wanted to move around. Now that she was more vertical, she was exhausted. Her day was only half way over too. She knew her dad put the chair in the trunk just in case, but she didn't want to admit defeat.

She carefully opened her locker as she tried to balance on one foot. She slid her books in, grabbed her chemistry book and notebook, and closed her locker. Luckily, it was lunch and she could just relax for thirty minutes. She looked over and saw Josh and Maya walk toward her. Josh had his arm slung over Maya's shoulders and she looked blissfully happy. Riley smiled at the sight. Her brother and her best friend were back where they needed to be. She noticed Lucas walking a few steps behind them.

' _Lucas.'_ It was the last big question that hadn't been answered since her accident. They were on speaking terms, but not much else. They made small talk while he was helping her with chemistry, but neither allowed the conversation to go deeper. Riley just wasn't ready. As much sense as her dad made, she was still working on her insecurities, her own demons. She still felt like a mess, a mess who didn't deserve the love of someone like Lucas...or anyone, really. She also wasn't quite sure that he even wanted to get back together anymore. She was well aware of the fact that Missy and he went out on a date the Saturday night. Unfortunately she had to hear that piece of information from multiple people in her Math and English classes. Though she felt a pang in her heart at the mere thought of it, she knew that he didn't owe her anything. She didn't honestly expect him to remain single while she figured herself out. For all he knew, she had completely ended things. It didn't stop her from feeling slightly unnerved. She knew he deserved better than her, but she also knew that he deserved a lot better than Missy Bradford. "Hey guys," she greeted when they reached Josh's locker.

"How are you feeling," Josh asked as he opened his locker.

"Tired and sore," she admitted. "But I'm not about to tell dad that."

"Well, only two more classes and lunch to go," Maya told her.

"Yeah...I hope I make it," Riley told her as she wobbled a little.

"Here," Lucas said as he grabbed the books out of her hands. "That should help some."

"Thanks. The doctor didn't want me to wear a book bag yet because it might shift my weight and make me feel even more off balanced than I already feel." Conversation. They were actually having conversations now, and it wasn't just about chemistry. Yes, it was still awkward to see him. She knew her feelings for him hadn't gone away, but he hadn't been anything but kind and supportive. She knew she needed to get over it. He was being a good friend, and she knew friends like that were hard to come by.

"When does the physical therapy start," he asked.

"In a few weeks. The doctor wanted me to get used to this a little bit first."

Josh shut his locked and turned to his sister. "Are you going to be up to celebrating your birthday next week?"

"I'm definitely not up for a party, but maybe dinner or something."

"Our last home game is Friday," Josh mentioned as they began to make their way toward the cafeteria.

She knew where he was going with this, and she had already considered going to the game, but she wanted to hear him ask. One of life's little pleasures was seeing her brother beg for something from her. She loved every second of it. "And?"

"Riley, please come. It's my last game."

It would be the last time she would see him play, at least in high school. She glanced at Lucas. It would also be her last time to see him play. She had to admit that he looked incredible in his uniform. She definitely wouldn't mind seeing him in it one more time. She looked back at her brother. "Fine."

"You know," Josh grinned, "Mom, dad, and Auggie are going to Philly for the weekend..."

"Oh no," Riley groaned as she continued to hobble toward the cafeteria. "So let me guess…is the after party at our house?" Her brother's laughter behind her was the only answer she needed.

* * *

"I'm tired," Riley told Maya as they sat in stands that Friday night. "And I'm cold."

"Here," Maya gave Riley some more of the blanket they shared. She debated on bringing this up again, but just as Riley didn't give up on bringing Maya and Josh back together, Maya wasn't about to give up on Riley and Lucas. "You know…it means a lot to him that you're here."

"Yeah, he told me. It's his last game and he wants his sister here."

"Well, yeah...but I meant Lucas."

"What?" Riley knew that eventually she would have to talk to her best friend about Lucas, but she didn't think it would be in the middle of a football game surrounded by half of the student body.

"Lucas. Josh told me that he asks about you all the time."

Apparently Maya didn't hear the rumors that had circulated around the school all week. Riley was certain Maya knew about it. Riley watched the field as the school's defense made a stop on the first down. "I thought he was going out with Missy?"

Maya frowned. "Where did you hear that?"

"Darby saw them last weekend in his car."

Maya shook her head. "So that's what the hold up is. Riley, Josh told me that Lucas gave her a ride home because she drank to much at Billy's house after the Washington game. There was nothing to it."

"Really?"

"Josh says that he's still really hung up on you."

Riley said nothing as she kept her eyes on the field. The defense was able to make another stop. Only one more stop and JQA would get the ball on offense.

"There's something else you might want to know."

Riley kept her focus on the game. "What is it?"

"Josh told me something that happened after the accident."

Riley swallowed. She had no idea what her friend was about to tell her. Was it about Missy and Lucas? She could handle it if they were together. She was strong now. She wasn't as fragile as everyone seemed to think she was. She didn't want anyone to keep anything from her. Not after all of this. She looked over at Maya as she felt her heart race. "What?"

"Before you came back to school, some guys were…they were talking about you after football practice."

Riley nodded as she turned back to watch the game. She would've been completely naïve if she thought no one would talk about everything that happened. "So Lucas was too?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. Never in a million years did she think that he would, but why else would Maya tell her about all this unless somehow Lucas was involved?

"What? No! Riley…Josh thought Lucas was going to kill them."

She frowned. This made no sense. "Are you talking about Lucas Friar?" JQA's defense made another stop. A timeout was called on the field.

"Do we know another Lucas," Maya asked sarcastically. She turned to face Riley as she reached for her hands. "Lucas punched one of the lockers. He dented it. Josh told me that he had never seen anything like it. He looked like he could kill them." Maya paused as she tried to let Riley take all of that information in. "There's more."

Riley had completely forgotten about the cold or the game in front of them. This didn't sound like Lucas. This didn't sound like the gentle knight that seemed to always come to her rescue. She turned to her friend. "What is it?"

"Josh told me that Lucas told him that he would've been kicked out of his old school for fighting if it wasn't for his position with the football team. He has a history of doing things like this. Josh said he wanted a fresh start here, one where he didn't feel like he had to defend someone with his fists. He said that Lucas just snapped though when he heard some of the things they were saying about you." Maya tried to gauge what Riley was thinking about in that moment. She wasn't reacting at all to anything that Maya was telling her. "Riley, I know you still love him. Everyone knows that, the only exception being Lucas and you."

"Maya, I don't think this is the place to talk about it." It wasn't. They were in the middle of a crowd of people at a high school football game. Riley didn't want to share her deepest feelings to her best friend. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what she was feeling in that moment. It was a lot to take in. Lucas. Mr. Perfect. Suddenly her image of him shattered. If this was true, and she had no reason to doubt that it wasn't, her whole perspective on him had suddenly altered. He was flawed. He wasn't this perfect prince charming that she had set him up to be. She turned to face the field again. She saw him jog onto the field as JQA's offense took the field. It was at that moment that she realized that she had done the same thing to him that he had done to her: she had him on a pedestal. She had seen him as someone he couldn't possibly be. Most people would be disappointed with such a revelation, but in reality, Riley found herself thinking about something she hadn't really considered in months: a world where they could potentially be together again. She shook her head. She needed time to process all of this.

Maya saw Riley shake her head. Mistaking it for once again believing she wasn't good enough for him, she squeezed her hand. "You deserve to be loved, Riles. You deserve nothing but that. You were happy with him."

Riley looked at their hands clasped together. Happy. That was an understatement. Life felt perfect around him. That was part of the problem. She always waited for the other shoe to drop. She waited for him to find out who she was, the real her, and run away. The stress didn't help with her not so little problem. Love is supposed to bring out the best in you. He seemed to think she was someone she wasn't. "He deserves someone better." He did. He knew who she was now. Even though Maya said that he still loved her, was that even possible? When she looked at him, her heart ached. She still saw the way he looked at her…like she was perfect. It was maddening. She couldn't live up to that expectation, and truthfully, she didn't want to. She was flawed, but as she learned in therapy, her flaws also helped shaped who she was. She wanted someone who could accept all of her. It was a tall order for anyone, but Riley had hope that someone would be up to the challenge.

"He couldn't do better than Riley Matthews."

Maya gave her too much credit, but that's what best friends were for. She would always see Riley has someone who deserved the best world had to offer her. Riley couldn't fault her for that because she felt the same way for Maya. That's one reason why she wanted her to be with Josh. She was the only person who would be worthy of him and Josh was the only person who Riley knew would take care of Maya and love her the way she should. Life was so complicated at times, and so hard, but at the end of everything, Riley knew she had Maya.

She suddenly realized that she wasn't paying attention to the game. Just as she looked at the field, she saw someone tackle Lucas. Her eyes grew big as she watched him lay on the turf. When he didn't immediately get up, she held her breath as her chest tightened. She watched as some of the staff and her brother came to his side. A few of the people blocked her view of the field. She scrambled to find her crutches so she could stand up to try to see him, see if he was ok.

Maya looked over at her best friend and immediately noticed the fear in her eyes. She saw her scramble to stand up. Maya grabbed Riley's arm to help her as they both stood from their seats. "I'm sure he's ok, Riles."

"Y-yeah," she stammered. "How d-do you know?" She leaned every way possible to try to get a glimpse of him. She finally saw an opening; saw where he still laid on the turf. Her heart jumped into her throat at the sight. "H-he's still down."

Riley clung to Maya as they stood and waited for what felt like an eternity. In reality, it was only a minute or two before Lucas was helped back onto his feet. When Riley saw him talk to Josh as he helped escort him off the field, she had never felt so relieved in her whole life. When she saw Lucas smile at the training staff before he turned to sit on the sideline, she was able to breathe again. She wasn't focused on the game as play continued, her focus was strictly on the sideline as she watched someone check Lucas for any real injuries. It was only when he went back into the game that she was able to fully relax again.

* * *

Riley stayed in her room while the team celebrated their win downstairs. She was exhausted from school and the game, not to mention the minor heart attack she had when she saw Lucas go down. She was quiet the whole way home as she tried to process everything that had happened that evening. Lucas had anger issues? The same guy who admitted to her that he watched the television show "Cuddle Bunnies" every day after he got home from school and practice? It was hard to imagine. Riley only knew the sweet side of Lucas. And when he got hurt in the game, she saw her whole world stop. It felt like the car accident all over again. When they got hit, her first thought was Lucas. Was he ok? Was he going to make it through ok? She never thought about the fact that they were hit on her side of the car. She hadn't considered what would happen to her at the time. He was her only concern. Riley knew how she felt about Lucas. That was never the problem. The problem lied in the number of issues and insecurities that she put in between them. No, she hadn't considered his feelings in any of it. She thought she was doing what was best for everyone. As strongly as she believed in the reasons why she pushed him away, she was beginning to realize that she didn't want to push him away. She enjoyed spending time with him as he tutored her. As much as she hated chemistry, she found herself looking forward to their study sessions. Sure, their conversations never ran deep, and mostly consisted of what she was studying in class, but she felt better around him. She felt happy. Maybe they could be friends? Riley sighed. They were never just friends. She had a hard time convincing herself that they could just be friends. Her heart wanted more and she knew if she hung around him long enough, she would end up getting hurt. Riley knew Lucas would never intentionally hurt her, but he's a teenage guy. He would want to date eventually, if he wasn't already according to those awful rumors. Though Riley felt mentally prepared to date again, she still wasn't certain that she was good enough for him, even if he had a darker past than she thought. Her brain hurt just from thinking about it all. She snuggled into her pillows as she reached for the book that laid on her nightstand: Great Expectations. She barely opened it when she heard someone knock on the door. "Come in," she called as she placed her bookmark back on the page.

"Can I come in," Lucas asked. He was nervous. He was happy with the fact that she was now speaking to him and that they were able to spend some time together while he was tutoring her, but he wanted more. He had to know how she felt about him. The hit he took earlier knocked the wind out of him. He wasn't seriously injured, just a few bruised ribs, but it made him think about everything that had been going on in the last few months. He knew they had a close call in the accident. He also knew that at any moment, something could happen to either one of them. It was a morbid train of thought, but sadly, at the age of 18, Lucas knew how short life was. He was tired of this holding pattern he had found himself in with Riley. He either needed complete closure from her or some sort of indication that she could one day care about him again. He was still willing to wait, but at the same time, he didn't want to make a fool of himself, or worse, break their fragile friendship that he had already fought to get for two months. He wanted her in his life, but he needed to know where they stood once and for all.

She placed the book back on her nightstand before she tried to sit up. "Yeah."

"You don't have to try to get up," he told her as he moved to sit at the bay window. "How are you?"

"A little tired. It's been a little tougher than I thought trying to get used to crutches." She furrowed her eyebrows. "You're one to talk though. It was a pretty hard hit you took out there tonight. How are _you_ feeling?"

"A little sore," he told her truthfully. "It's just a few bruised ribs. I've had it happen before. I'll get some rest over the weekend and will be back to 100% soon enough." He cleared his throat. "Thank you for coming to the game tonight. I know you came for Josh, but...it meant a lot." Seeing her in the stands meant everything to him. He loved her, he missed her, but he didn't realize how much he missed 'them' until he saw her sitting next to Maya. He knew she wasn't there for him, but for a moment he tried to pretend that she was. It brought him back to the other games she came to. Her just watching him inspired him—motivated him—to keep pushing, to keep the drive alive. He knew he played his best when she was around. He missed feeling that support from her. When he went down, he tried to find her in the crowd, tried to let her know that he was ok, he just needed a moment to recover from the hit. Before he sat down on the bench, he saw her and noticed her concern. He couldn't help but smile. He knew that seemed horrible, but he realized at that moment that she did care. He just needed to know in what way.

Riley closed her eyes. "Lucas..."

"No," he put his hand up to stop her, "Can I go first? I know what you're going to say, so before that happens, I just...need to say this." When she nodded, he continued, "Ok, I know you think that I caused the accident. And for a long time, I blamed myself for it. If we hadn't been in the car at that time, or left your grandparents' house sooner, maybe it could've been avoided." He swallowed. "I…I wish I would've been hit. You had everything you ever wanted, but I pushed you. I pushed you into going out with me, into taking a break from everything. I got in the way of your dream, and I ended up ruining your whole life. That is something I don't know if I can ever get over."

"Are you kidding me," she nearly shrieked. She couldn't believe that he just said that to her. "That. That is what you think? That is what you really think?"

He looked down, but nodded. "You told me that in the hospital, Riley."

Riley let out an exasperated sigh. She was mad. Not at him...she was mad at herself. She had said every word to push him away, push him toward something better. She didn't want him to carry that guilt with him. She realized that he had been carrying that around since the hospital. She hated herself for that. He didn't deserve that at all. "Lucas, I was upset. I was hurt, I was completely and utterly embarrassed. You're the type of guy who would stick around...and I didn't want to drag you down. An anorexic ballerina with a broken leg...I was born to be a lifetime movie...and you don't deserve that. You deserve someone so much better...someone with a light inside of them. Someone who isn't constantly playing jump rope with light and dark. I pushed you away because you deserve the light...and I couldn't give that to you." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she looked down at her hands. "I couldn't even make myself happy for a really long time."

Lucas let that sink in. So she didn't blame him for the accident? She did all of that because she thought it was what was best for everyone? "Riley, it's ok to lean on people when you're in pain. I wanted to be that for you. I still want to be that for you. You don't always have to be strong."

"The last thing I want in this world is to bring you down."

"It wouldn't be you bringing me down. It would be me pulling you out of the darkness." He looked around her room as she continued to look down at her hands. His eyes fell on the book on her nightstand. Suddenly, an idea formed in his mind. "I came in here to ask you something."

She looked up at him. "What's up?"

"The Winter Formal is coming up—"

"Lucas, I—"

"Let me finish," he told her. "I want to ask you, but I'm not going to."

She frowned, unsure of where he was going with this. Was he about to tell her that he was taking Missy? She knew she couldn't bear to hear this right now. She took a deep breath. "Ok?"

A smile formed on his lips. "Let's let fate decide."

Riley was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"We bonded over a mutual love of classic literature, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah?"

"Ok, so how about this? If I name a book and you can't give me a quote from it, you have to go to the winter formal with me. If you can quote any part of it, you won't have to worry about me asking you to go with me." It was bold. It was risky. It was also the smartest move he could have made with her.

She eyed him for a long moment. She knew that he knew that she knew a lot about classic literature. What was he trying to do? Her curiosity piqued, she knew she had to play along to find out what he was trying to accomplish by doing this. "Ok. What book?"

"Great Expectations," he answered, not missing a beat, his eyes never leaving her's.

Riley was even more confused. Did he not notice the book beside her bed? She was pretty sure she could pull a quote from every chapter of that novel. She was positive she could quote something from every character in the book. She was fairly certain she could quote whole passages verbatim without blinking. She held his gaze for what felt like forever as she thought about this. What game was he playing?

"Well?" He knew exactly what book was beside her nightstand. He also knew that, according to Josh, it was one of her favorite books. This was it. This was how he was going to know how she felt without her knowing what he was doing. He wanted to ask her to the formal. He didn't want to pressure her about it. He needed to know how she felt. If all she wanted from him was friendship, then he would give it to her. At the same time, he strongly suspected that she felt for him exactly how he felt for her. He took a deep breath when she opened her mouth to speak.

As she was just about to quote the first lines that popped into her mind, thus effectively ending any possibility of a reconciliation between them, something stopped her. She didn't know what it was, but her mind blanked completely. "I-I can't," she found herself saying, "I can't think of one." Five seconds earlier, she had about 50 lines she could have sputtered off, but she didn't—she couldn't. She wasn't sure if it was her head, her heart, or some combination of both that stopped her.

Lucas gave her a small smile. "That's too bad. I guess we're going to the winter formal together." Outwardly, he tried to act nonchalant about it, but inwardly, he was already planning the perfect night for them.

She nodded. "I guess so."

He stood up and walked towards the door. He turned to her. "Get some rest. I know you must be exhausted."

"Thanks."

"Sweet dreams," he turned and exited her room. Once her door was closed, he couldn't keep the grin off of his face. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Riley Matthews loved him. And he was prepared to fight for her.

Riley blinked several times as she stared at the door Lucas exited from. "'So, I must be taken as I have been made,'" she quoted softly, "'The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.'" She chuckled to herself before she reached for her book.

Before he walked back downstairs to the party, Lucas leaned against Riley's door and smiled. "'You have been in every line I have ever read,'" he quoted before he walked away.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

_**A/N: A few things before you read this chapter: The song used in the dance is originally done by Megan Trainor ft John Legend. It's called "Like I'm Gonna Lose You". Now, the version I used in this story is actually a cover by the INCREDIBLE Jasmine Thompson (go check out her stuff, she is amazing and practically the only artist I've been listening to while writing this story). The second thing is that I'm going on vacation next week, so the next chapter might be a little delayed in being posted. I plan to work on it some over the next few days, but I won't be able to touch it for about a week. Sorry, but the mountains are calling my name. Last thing: to try to ease the pain of a potentially delayed update, I made a video. My YouTube user is OUAT2011 and the little music video I made uses the version of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" that I had in mind for this chapter. It's Rucas (of course). Check it out if you want to. And sorry about the formatting again. Gotta love copy and paste, right?**_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

"I look absolutely ridiculous," Riley sighed as she looked at herself in her full-length mirror. Maya and she had spent the better part of their Saturday getting ready for the winter formal. Halfway through, Riley grabbed her phone to text Lucas to not bother, but Maya snatched it away from her before she could send said message. So here they were, almost done getting ready and Riley didn't feel any better about how she looked.

Maya stood next to her best friend. She took a moment to examine both of their appearances. "You look beautiful." She put an arm around her. "We both do. Those boys aren't gonna know what hit them."

"You look breath-taking," Riley smiled. Maya looked absolutely radiant in her navy blue strapless gown. It fell right to her knees. She wore an amazing pair of nude heels with it. Her hair was down, curled. She didn't wear much jewelry, just a gold necklace with a pearl pendant that her grandmother had given her. She was the picture of absolute perfection. Riley looked back at herself. Her hair was half up, half down with slightly tighter curls than that of her best friend. She opted for a dark purple dress that also reached the top of her knees. She originally wanted a floor length gown, but she knew that having a shorter dress would mean that she would be less likely to stumble on her crutches. Riley had straps on her gown, something she insisted on as she didn't want to worry about it slipping down while trying to maneuver around. One less worry about potential embarrassment. She wore one black flat on her left foot, her "walking cast" did not allow her to wear another shoe. She felt absolutely ridiculous. She felt like she looked great from the knee up, but that stupid cast made her look undeniably silly. Riley sighed as she moved one of the tendrils that framed her face out of the way. "I should just stay home," she concluded.

"Absolutely not," Maya snorted. "We have been getting ready all afternoon. We are going, and we are going to have a blast. Besides, you know you want to go with him."

"I never said that," she huffed.

"You didn't have to," Maya chuckled. "You couldn't quote one line from one of your favorite books to get out of this. You so want to go with him. Admit it. Come on, Riley. Talk to me." She walked over to Riley's dresser to grab the necklace Riley wanted to wear. She moved over to stand behind Riley as she put the necklace around Riley's neck.

Riley closed her eyes. That moment with Lucas had occupied most of her thoughts over the last two weeks. She knew how she felt. She fully came to terms with that the first day she went to physical therapy. It hurt. The simple act of placing her foot on the ground felt foreign. Then the therapist wanted her to put a little weight on it. Riley almost fell right then and there from the pain. As it shot through her, her thoughts turned to Lucas. He said he wanted to be there for her, he wanted to help share in the burden of her healing. Though at the time her reaction was to not be a burden on anyone, she realized at that moment that if the tables had been reversed and if Lucas had been going through all of this stuff, she'd feel the exact same way. She wouldn't leave him, even if he asked her to. She would be there in whatever capacity he needed her to be. She pushed him away because she thought that was what was best for everyone. She wanted him there with her during her physical therapy appointments. She wanted him to help her. She wanted to lean on him. She wanted those things because she loved him. She trusted him. She knew his support above all others would give her the most inspiration to keep going when things would get tough with her recovery.

She opened her eyes after Maya put Riley's necklace on her. She took a deep breath. "Maya?"

"Yeah?"

She took another deep breath. She had spent most of the last few months pushing away her feelings for the quarterback, but she knew that she didn't want to anymore. "I love Lucas. I-I-'m in love with him."

Maya gave her a smile. "Tell me something I don't know, Riles."

"I want him around, Maya." She looked at her best friend through her reflection in the mirror. "I want him to be there while I go through this physical therapy. I want him there the first day I try to dance again. I want him there as I continue to go through my therapy and gain this weight. He's already seen me at my worst. I want him to see me heal. I want him to see how far I've already come." She turned around to face her friend. "I want him. I never stopped wanting him to be with me…and not just as a friend. I'm in love with him. I don't know how to not be in love with him. It's scary, and exciting at the same time."

"Wow," Maya breathed. "Are you going to tell him all that?"

Riley smiled. "I think I am."

* * *

All eyes seemed to be on the foursome as they entered the gym. Riley felt uncomfortable at first, but once people starting to resume conversation, she relaxed. She tried to take in all of the decorations and the music that blared. When she noticed all of the people dancing on the dance floor, she felt a pang in her heart. She would've given anything to be out there with them, just enjoying the music. _'One day,'_ she mused, ' _I'll dance the night away on that floor.'_

Lucas glanced at the scenery, but was quick to keep his main focus on Riley. She seemed quiet, more so than normal on the way there. He wasn't sure if it was because she didn't really want to go or be there with him or something else entirely. He saw her look at the people dancing on the floor. He smiled as he offered his hand. "May I?"

Riley laughed nervously before she gestured to her crutches. "Kinda not able to."

"That's an easy fix." He turned to her as he reached for her right hand. "Put your arm around my neck," he said as he took that crutch from her.

"Lucas, what if I fall?" She began to panic as he pulled one of the crutches away from her and handed it to Josh. She teetered a little as she tried to adjust to putting some weight on his shoulders.

"I won't let you," he said simply as he moved the other crutch from her and handed it to his best friend. He wrapped his arm around her waist as a slow song began to play. "Let's go dance."

He helped her walk the short distance to the middle of the dance floor. Once there, he gently turned her to face him. He silently moved her other arm up around his neck. "You can lean on me, Riley."

She gave him a small smile. "Ok."

 _/I found myself dreaming_

 _In silver and gold_

 _Like a scene from a movie_

 _That every broken heart knows/_

Riley took a deep breath as they gently swayed to the song. Everything around her seemed so surreal. Was she really here, with him, after everything? She thought dancing would be out of the question since she was still on crutches and had barely started to try to put any kind of weight on her leg. But he made it happen. He hadn't pressure her for more, or for anything for that matter. He was simply there for her if she needed him. He knew her, she realized. He knew what she needed from him and he did everything to give that to her. She was scared to tell him how she felt about him—how wrong she had been to push him away—but she knew that she couldn't keep it in much longer. She didn't want to.

 _/We were walking on moonlight_

 _And you pulled me close_

 _Split second and you disappeared_

 _And then I was all alone/_

Lucas wanted her to trust him—not just with making sure she wouldn't fall, but with everything. He could tell that she was beginning to, but at the same time, he knew she was still holding back. He knew they had a big conversation ahead of him. He wasn't sure of the outcome, but he knew that no matter what, he was going to be there for her. Nothing could change that…not even Riley's pride.

 _/I woke up in tears_

 _With you by my side_

 _A breath of relief_

 _And I realized_

 _No, we're not promised tomorrow/_

Riley looked all around them at the other couples on the floor. They all seemed so happy, so carefree. Could she really have that again? Could she be a normal teenager and have a normal life? She slowly turned to look at Lucas whose sole focus was on Riley. Their eyes met.

 _/So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _And I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye_

 _Wherever we're standing_

 _I won't take you for granted_

 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you/_

They said nothing as they each got lost in their own thoughts as they continued to gaze at one another. Riley subconsciously lowered her right leg. She shifted her weight slightly to attempt to put a little weight on it. Not feeling any immediate pain, she tried to put a little more weight on it. Realizing that she was still ok, she began to go through the motions of all the other couples around them and sway back and forth on her feet. She never put her full weight on her leg. She just did it enough to feel as normal as possible. At the time, she didn't realize what she was doing. She was simply lost in his gaze. She felt…normal.

 _/In the blink of an eye_

 _Just a whisper of smoke_

 _You could lose everything_

 _The truth is you never know/_

Riley and Lucas both thought the lyrics for the song hit way too close to home for them. They both went through that accident together. Riley swallowed. She had never even considered that. They both went through that accident, not just her. He wasn't hurt, but he was there with her. What if he had nightmares about it like she did? What if he had the same thoughts about his mortality like she did? Suddenly, she felt very insensitive. She pushed him away, but what if he needed her to get through it too?

Lucas was surprised that Riley and he were still maintaining eye contact. It hadn't happened for this long since before the accident. Lucas swallowed. How could someone so small make him feel so uneasy? The answer was easy. It was because his heart rested with the girl in front of him. He wished that moment would last forever. "You look beautiful," he found himself telling her.

 _/So I'll kiss you longer baby_

 _Any chance that I get_

 _I'll make the most of the minutes_

 _And love with no regrets/_

She smiled up at him. "You clean up pretty well yourself." She looked around them. "This year has gone by so fast. I can't believe I'm almost done with chemistry."

Lucas laughed. "Are you taking another science class next semester?"

"Absolutely not," she laughed. "Thank you. For helping me get through it. You are officially off the hook." Her smile faded when she realized what she had said. She would no longer have an excuse to see him, to hang out with him. Though she had already decided to confess her feelings to him, she thought that maybe if she backed out, at least they could still study together.

Lucas's smile faded as well at her words. 'Off the hook?' He didn't want to be off the hook on anything as far as Riley Matthews was concerned. He was done being patient about this. He didn't want to take two steps back now that they had come so far. Tonight was the night. He knew they would have to talk about everything. He shook his head slightly. This wasn't the right place for that conversation. He wanted to keep it light—for now. He searched his brain for something to say. "How did you think you did on the final?"

"We'll find out on Monday."

 _/Let's take our time to say what we want_

 _Here's what we got before it's all gone_

 _'Cause no, we're not promised tomorrow/_

"Riley, I wanted to thank you."

She was confused. Thank her for what? She hadn't done anything in regards to him that deserved gratitude. "Why?"

"I know you didn't want to come tonight," he began, "at least with me," he added rapidly, "but I'm glad you did." He wasn't sure if he was being too honest in the moment or not. The last thing he wanted at that moment was to scare her away.

"A deal is a deal, right?"

When she smiled that spellbinding smile of hers, Lucas relaxed. "Right."

 _/So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye_

 _Wherever we're standing_

 _I won't take you for granted_

 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time/_

"Josh, just look at them," Maya cooed as she looked over at Lucas and Riley dancing. "They look perfect together."

Josh spun Maya around so he could look at his younger sister. "She looks happy," he noted. "It's been awhile since I've seen her like that." He looked back at his girlfriend as they swayed to the music. "She still loves him."

Maya nodded. "She told me tonight."

Josh widened his eyes. "Really?" He looked back over at the couple. "I knew she wanted to go with him tonight, but didn't think she was ready for all that again."

"How did you know she wanted to go tonight?" The only reason Maya knew was because Riley told her. She knew as much as she loved her brother, she wouldn't confess that to him. She knew Josh would immediately tell Lucas.

 _/So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna hold you like I'm saying goodbye/_

"Well," he spun her around once more. "You know how he kinda of tricked her into it?"

"Yeah?"

Josh grinned. "He knew Great Expectations was one of her favorite books. I told him that like a month ago."

"Wait," Maya stopped dancing as she tried to think everything through, "So he wanted her to give him a quote from it?" Did he not want to go with her?

"No," Josh said as he pulled her close and began to dance with her once more, "I'm saying that's how he kinda gauged how she felt about him. If she gave him a quote from it, he knew she didn't want to go with him or be with him. Since she didn't—"

A light bulb went off in Maya's mind. Her eyes lit up. "He figured out that she must still have feelings for him." Maya giggled as she looked over at the couple once more. "I really should give him more credit."

 _/Wherever we're standing_

 _I won't take you for granted_

 _'Cause we'll never know when, when we'll run out of time_

 _So I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_

 _I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you/_

After the song finished, Riley and Lucas stood there for a moment, both trying to figure out what to say, both not coming up with anything. It took about fifteen seconds into the next upbeat song that they both realized that they were standing still. Riley laughed nervously. "Can we sit down? I'm a little tired."

Lucas smiled. "Absolutely."

* * *

"How are you feeling," Maya asked Riley as they entered the women's restroom. She held open the door for Riley as she hobbled in.

"Getting a little tired," she sighed as she shuffled over to the mirror. She looked up at her appearance. "I look like a mess," she whined.

"No, you don't," Maya consoled as she played with Riley's hair for a moment. "You look happy."

Riley gave her a small smile. "Well, it has been a pretty amazing night." She was honestly surprised by it. She never thought she would be able to really enjoy herself in a formal type setting while still on her crutches. She thought she'd spend the whole night wishing she could dance with her classmates.

"I saw," Maya grinned. "So, how was the dance?"

Riley turned to face her friend. "Unbelievable. He was able to hold me up the whole time. As horribly clichéd as this sounds, it felt like I was sort of floating." Her eyes glazed over as she thought about the amazing four minutes she spent on the dance floor with Lucas. It was something right out of a dream. Unfortunately those four minutes made her a lot more physically tired, so she spent most of the evening sitting at a table with him. They ate a little, watched other couples on the dance floor, and talked with Maya and Josh whenever they weren't dancing. Sounds boring to most, but Riley loved every second of it.

"Are you still going to tell him?"

Riley nodded. "I think I am. I just don't know when." She moved to enter one of the stalls. Maya looked at herself in the mirror one more time before she went to the stall next to Riley. As soon as she closed the door, she heard a group of girls enter the restroom.

"Yeah, but what about Riley," one girl asked.

"He's just doing it out of pity," another girl answered. "Missy told me that much. She said he felt guilty about everything, so he was taking her to the dance, but they'll be together at the after party."

"I don't know Jill," a third voice chimed in, "He seems to really like Riley."

"If he did," Jill answered, "then why is he with Missy right now?"

The girls fell silent as they fixed their makeup for a few moments.

Riley froze in the bathroom stall. She waited until they exited before she and Maya came out of their stalls.

"Riley, don't listen to them," Maya begged.

"Thank you," Riley told her, ignoring what Maya said, "For not making a scene."

"It was hard," Maya confessed, "but I know you don't want any confrontations." Maya stared at Riley as they both washed their hands. "Riley, you don't seem happy anymore."

"I'm…fine," she answered. Truthfully, she wasn't so sure. She knew gossip was rarely right, and it didn't seem like Lucas had taken her to the formal out of pity, but she couldn't help but feel slightly insecure about the whole thing. Riley looked up at her reflection before she took a deep breath. It was ok. Everything was fine. "Let's go," she said as she started to hobble toward the door.

As soon as the girls walked back into the gym, Maya and Riley both saw Lucas and Missy talking to one another by the punch bowl. Maya considered her options: she could go kill them both or she could try to see how Riley felt about it all. She knew which option was more rational; though she had to admit to herself that option one was appealing. "Riley?"

Riley bit the inside of her cheek. They were just talking. Just talking. She quickly tried to bury her insecurities, but as she continued to witness their interaction, her insecurities started to rapidly build back up. What if the rumors were true? What if they were together? What if-what if he only asked her to formal just to ease his conscience about the whole accident? Suddenly Riley was tired—very tired, more so than before. She didn't want to cause a scene with Maya and her brother. Riley knew that she would have to go through the rest of the evening as if nothing was wrong. ' _Yeah, right.'_ Riley knew she was an open book when it came to her emotions: any one of them would probably be able to read her in a heartbeat. She turned to her best friend. "It's fine," she smiled. "Let's go find Josh."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

_**A/N: Here we are. Last chapter. I've already been asked by a few people about a sequel. I'm not going to say no, because I've actually considered it myself, but I do have a few one shots, a new AU, and a story I've been severely neglecting that I need to work on. Also, I don't have a solid plot for a sequel for this…but who knows. I told myself I wouldn't do a sequel to "Stay" or "Go" and we know how that ended up. Haha. I also left the ending open for a potential sequel.**_

 _ **Anyway, thank you ALL for the incredible support I've received for this story. I had no idea when I began it that so many people would enjoy it and actually be inspired by it. I think the world of all of you guys. I really do. You guys inspire me so much. I hope you all like what I have coming up.**_

 _ **I'm dedicating this last chapter to one reader in particular. On IG her name is _NYYYYA. She made a video edit of Pas (that she allowed me to post on my IG), and it just blew me away.**_

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

Riley was quiet for most of the rest of the evening. She wasn't mad or upset, just pensive. Maya was concerned for her, but Riley insisted multiple times that she was fine, just tired. She assured her best friend and her brother that she would still go to the after party at Lucas's house, because she knew if she didn't, neither one of them would go. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her brother's last winter formal. She knew he really didn't care for those types of things, but she knew that it was the first dance since he and Maya reconciled and knew they both just wanted to spend the evening with one another. If that meant Riley sitting in a corner bored out of her mind, so be it. She could sleep all day tomorrow. It wasn't like she had much of anything going on.

She looked around Lucas's living room. Maya and her had sat on a couch when they got there while Lucas and Josh finished moving some of the furniture around to make room for the small crowd they were expecting. It didn't take long for the entire senior class and half of the junior class to show up. Riley practically shoved Maya off the couch so Josh and her could go dance in the larger family room on the other side of the townhouse. She told them she would be fine on her own. As she looked around the room, she started to feel a little claustrophobic. Somehow Lucas's living room had turned into make-out central. _'Any other room would be better than this,'_ she thought miserably as she turned to grab her crutches.

Riley hobbled into Lucas's kitchen. Not the most picturesque part of his apartment, but it was less crowded and less awkward than being in his living room. She saw some of her fellow classmates taking shots. One of them offered her one. She smiled, but shook her head no. Well, that was one vice she never considered. She sighed as she looked around the kitchen. She noticed Lucas's keys on the key hook. She shuffled over to them and took them. She made her way out of the kitchen and down the hall to his dad's office. She unlocked the door, looked around to make sure no one saw her, and then slipped in. Once she had the door closed, she leaned her head against it and closed her eyes. Finally. Peace.

* * *

He looked for her everywhere. He knew she still had to be there. Josh and Maya were and he knew that she wouldn't just leave on her own while she was still on crutches. It was his house, there were only so many places to hide. He stopped mid stride and chuckled. _'Of course,'_ he mentally smacked himself. He spun around to walk toward his dad's office. He knew Riley Matthews. Riley Matthews didn't like parties. Riley Matthews loved books. He knew that she also loved his mother's book collection. There was only one place she could be. He stopped in front of the door, his palms sweaty, his heart raced. An image of them dancing at winter formal flashed in his mind. He knew how she felt. As much as he didn't want to push her before, he knew it was time. They needed to talk. He quickly knocked on the door before he could talk himself out of it.

Riley looked up from the book, her brows furrowed. Lucas's parents would kill him if a bunch of drunk people rambled in there with all of his father's cases and his mother's priceless rare books around. She reached for her crutches until she heard him call her name. "You can come in, Lucas," she called back. She smiled at him as he entered. "You know this is your house. You don't have to knock."

He chuckled nervously as he closed the door. "I didn't want to interrupt."

"You aren't interrupting," she assured him. "I just had to escape for a few moments. There are…a few people here."

"Yeah," he sighed, "Word got out." He walked to where she sat on the couch. He took a seat in the chair next to her. "What are you reading?"

She blushed. "Uh…Great Expectations, actually. You know since I couldn't remember much about it, I thought I'd brush up on it just in case you wanted to challenge me again."

He glanced at the book. "And you're already on page 150?"

She felt his eyes staring holes into her. It was at that moment that she knew she had been caught. She shrugged as she attempted one last time to play it off. "It's a light read?"

"Riley…" If he wasn't so intent on having this conversation with her, he would have laughed at her failed attempt to lie.

She sighed. "Fine. I may have read it once or twice before."

She wasn't giving away much of anything. He knew he would have to be the one to begin this. He had spent the last few months coming up with numerous scenarios about how all of this would play out. He had eloquently written out everything that he was going to say. He had the whole thing memorized as he practiced in front of a mirror at least twice a week. Now that he was sitting beside her, every word of that speech left his mind. He swallowed as he decided to just speak what was on his mind. "I have a confession to make to you."

Riley took a deep breath. She could tell by his tone that this was going to be 'the conversation', but she still wasn't sure she was ready for it. A few hours ago, she was more than ready to tell him what a jerk she had been, but after hearing about Missy and him and actually seeing them together, Riley was more unsure than ever about a future between them. She held her breath as she finally answered, "Yeah?"

"Josh told me it was one of your favorite books."

She was silent for a moment. That wasn't what she was expecting for him to say, but now that he said it, she was even more confused. "He did?" If Josh told Lucas that was another one of her favorites, then why would Lucas pick that book? What was going on?

Lucas nodded.

"Ok, so why did you pick that one?" She had to know. It made no sense to her. Did he not want to take her to the winter formal and this would be an easy way for both of them to just be friends?

"You really want to know?" He couldn't believe this was actually happening. They were actually having this conversation. The conversation he had dreamed about since the accident. He knew he was about to put his heart on the line. Everything hinged on what was said in the next few moments. No pressure.

She nodded.

He looked down at his hands. "I figured that if you quoted it to me, that it would be a way to let me down without you feeling bad about it or even really knowing about it."

Riley thought about it for a moment. So he was basically giving her the choice in it? He gave her a book he knew she was well versed in not because he didn't want to go with her, but because he didn't want her to feel bad for turning him down. "But I didn't," she whispered. She was saying it more to herself than to him. She hadn't realized she had spoken until she heard him reply.

"And that…let me know that maybe I still have a chance. That maybe things aren't over between us." He still didn't look at her. It was weird to be in this position. At his old school, he never had a problem with girls. Girls seemed to flock to him. He dated, of course, but it was never like this. At the first sign of drama, he would just cut and run. He didn't want to deal with any of that, but this was different. This wasn't some girl. This was Riley Matthews. He knew that if he didn't try, didn't tell her how he felt, that he would be missing out on what would probably be the best thing to ever happen to him.

"Lucas…"

"Riley…I think we need to talk about this. I've been trying really hard not to while you were healing, but I think it's time." She was beginning to open up to him, and he knew that if they didn't talk now, the opportunity might not happen again. He had waited long enough.

She nodded. "You're right."

He was relieved to hear her agree. One battle down. "So where do you—"

"What's going on with you and Missy?" Before she could even consider admitting how she felt about him she had to know where he stood with the gorgeous head cheerleader. She was tired of rumors. She needed to know from him what was going on.

"Missy?"

Riley didn't say anything as she waited for him to elaborate.

Lucas let out a breath as a few more of the pieces of the puzzle started to click into place. "Is that what's been wrong, Riley? There is nothing going on with Missy and—"

"So why is she around, Lucas? All the time. And you have to know that the whole school is talking about it." She hated how she sounded—just like a jealous girlfriend would. _'Huh,'_ she thought to herself as she frowned. She was jealous. She had been jealous over those rumors ever since the accident.

"Riley, I don't care about rumors and what people say. I thought you didn't either. I've been there for Missy…as a friend. Her family is having some problems and she just needed someone to talk to. Maybe she has been hanging around more than usual, but nothing is going on. I can't even believe that you would think—"

"Well, we haven't really talked a lot since…you know." She knew it was her fault, but she couldn't help it. She had carefully built up a wall in her heart that he couldn't get to, but he had chipped away at it for the last few weeks. She knew that wall was about to crumble down all around her. She knew how she felt about him, but she was still unsure about telling him, especially after she heard what she did in the bathroom earlier that evening.

"And whose fault is that, Riley? You wouldn't even let me see you until you got back to school. We probably wouldn't even be talking right now if it weren't for your father. I feel like I've been doing backflips to try to get you to talk to me, and you won't. I've even tried backing off. I can't do it anymore, Riley. It hurts. It hurts loving someone who appears to not have the same feelings for you anymore." He couldn't help it. Everything he kept bottled up the last few months just spilled out. How dare she doubt how he felt about her! He never waivered from her, not once, not ever. He was tired of hiding his feelings from her. He was tired of tiptoeing around the subject of feelings around her. And here she was thinking something was going on with him and Missy? It was absurd! Everyone in the school knew how he felt about Riley—except apparently for Riley. Until now. Lucas made it clear in that moment how he felt about her. If she refused to believe it now, then-

"You love me?"

He hadn't realized he had actually verbalized it until he heard Riley question it. "You know that," his voice softened. "Riley, I never stopped. Sadly, I don't think I ever could. It's just like breathing to me. It's something instinctual."

"Lucas, I—"

"No…let me finish. I know you're still working through everything. I know that you look at me and you think about everything being with me put you through, and I don't want that. It's the last thing in the world that I want. I want you to be happy more than anything. And I'll be ok if your happiness means not being with me. I hope though, that we could be friends, especially now that your chemistry class is over with." He swallowed. "Riley, you're amazing. I've never met anyone quite like you, and I know I never will again. I know I screwed things up, I just," he took a deep breath, "The two months we were together were the two best months of my life. I don't know how I would've survived in New York without you." He swallowed again. How was it possible to be so nervous yet comfortable around someone at the same time? "I know this is a lot for you to take in right now, but I can't keep this to myself anymore. I hope that this won't affect our friendship, but I had to say it."

It took Riley about two minutes to let all of it sink in. Of course she suspected he may still have feelings for her, but then the rumors about Missy surfaced and she thought there might have been some truth to them—especially after she saw them talking at the formal. She had to get to the bottom of the Missy thing before she cold even allow herself to believe that he still loved her. "Just…tell me what's going on with Missy."

"Riley, I already told you that—"

"I know what you told me, Lucas. These rumors had to come from somewhere."

He sighed. "Missy has a little…crush, I guess."

Riley snorted. "You think?"

This wasn't about Missy. This conversation was supposed to be about Riley and him. Missy Bradford wasn't even a factor in any of it. He knew about the rumors, but why was Riley so focused on it? Wasn't his word good enough? "It doesn't mean I feel the same way about her. If I wanted to be with Missy, wouldn't I be with her now? She isn't even here."

"Why not?" She knew she should drop it, but she had to know. She had to be sure. They were finally starting to become friends. She didn't want to risk that for something that could end before it truly began again. If he had feelings for Missy, Riley needed to know about them.

"I told her not to come." Lucas stood up and walked to the other end of the room. He was exasperated with her. He knew this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but why was Riley still building up walls around him? Now she was using Missy to justify not being with him? Why was she so scared to be with him? Had he not proven himself to her?

"Why?" Riley wasn't about to let this drop when she was so close to gaining the closure she needed. She reached for her crutches.

Lucas turned to face her. He watched as she hobbled over to where he stood. "Because she wants to be more than friends, and I don't want that with her."

When Riley finally reached him, her eyes slowly ticked up to meet his. It felt like he was staring holes into her. She could feel his frustration with her. "You're sure?"

"Have you not heard anything I've said?!" This conversation wasn't going nearly as well as he thought it would. He thought they had a moment on the dance floor. He thought all the pieces were there. He thought he knew how she felt. He felt that slipping away because of some notion she had in her mind about Missy and him. "It's you, Riley," his voice softened. "It's been you ever since the day I accidentally walked into your room."

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

Was she actually about to do this? After everything? She quickly tried to talk herself out of it, but it was no use. Her mind was finally made up. She took a deep breath. "I love you." She paused as her words seemed to hang in the air above them. It was out there, for him to do whatever he wanted to with it. "I-I haven't stopped loving you. I don't know how that would even be possible. I—" She never got to finish her thought as Lucas's lips crashed onto hers. His lips felt foreign, yet so familiar. It felt like coming home again. Two months they had gone without this. Two very long months. Riley wrapped her arms around his neck, neither of them acknowledging the sound of her crutches hitting the floor as Lucas wrapped his arms around her back. Both of them knew they had a hundred things to discuss, but in that moment, they found all of their answers.

Neither heard the door open. Neither heard Maya call Riley's name. Neither saw Maya watch them for a moment before grinning and leaving Lucas's father's study.

Riley was the first to pull away. She and Lucas had made out before, sure, but the kiss he just gave her was something completely different. She couldn't describe it. All she knew in that moment was that her adrenaline was racing. She felt like she could take on the world and conquer it—defeat every demon that she fought on a daily basis. "You didn't let me finish," she smiled.

Lucas moved his right hand to cup her cheek. When she didn't immediately smack him or try to run away as fast as she could, he relaxed. "I'm sorry," he smiled. "Please continue."

"What were we talking about," she asked absentmindedly. She had dreamed about this: about being in his arms once more, but reality felt so much better than any dream. This felt right.

"Umm," he searched his brain for anything that happened before the kiss. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen, but he couldn't think of anything other than the fact that the girl of his dreams was in his arms once more.

"Oh," Riley frowned as she remembered what she was going to say. "I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For being insensitive, among other things. I know that you walked away from that accident, but I never really associated it with the fact that you were in that accident too. Physically fine, but I just never considered that maybe you had the same nightmares that I did. Maybe you struggled with the same realization that…that we're human. Something could happen so quickly and we could be gone in a flash." She looked around the room. "I'm also sorry I got so preoccupied with what I lost as opposed to what I still had. I'm—I'm starting to get myself right side up again. I'm feeling more normal than I have in a very long time. I needed the space. I needed to…go through it all…hit rock bottom before I could even begin to see things clearly again." She swallowed as tears began to form in her eyes. "And I do—see things clearer now. You were always there. Even when…I didn't think I wanted you to be. You never gave up on me, even after I said something I knew would hurt you…to try to push you away. Thank you, Lucas. For not giving up on me."

Lucas rubbed his thumb across her cheek to wipe her tears away. "Riley, this isn't some crush. This is love. What I feel for you. It's as real as that book," he gestured to where Great Expectations laid on the couch. "I love you for who you are: light, dark, and every shade in between. I want to be there for you...good mood, bad mood, whatever. Even if it's just as friends. I'll love you no matter what, Riley. It's a scary feeling, especially for our age, but it's the only real thing I know."

"Can we sit," she asked after a moment of silence between them.

He said nothing as he helped her back over to the couch. Instead of sitting in the chair next to the couch, he moved the book to the coffee table and sat next to her.

"You want to know a secret?"

He nodded.

"I don't miss dance."

This surprised him. "Really?"

"Yeah—not what I was doing anyway. It was just too much. Too much pressure. I thought I had to be perfect...it's why I started...not eating. Parents weekend was always my favorite weekend, and I never really knew why until now...I didn't have that pressure. It was all just for fun. Maybe this all happened for a reason. I'm healthier now...I actually enjoy eating now and I don't feel guilty about it. I have more time to do other things I want to do," she gestured toward the book, "And maybe...maybe I can enjoy being a kid for just a little while longer before I have to worry about the rest of my life. The doctor thinks I'll be walking without crutches by spring." She wasn't sure why she was suddenly telling him all of this. Maybe it was because she had missed this—just being able to talk to him. Now that things were out in the open between them, they could have this again—this bond. She kept things from him before, but for the first time, she felt that she could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge, he wouldn't leave.

Lucas smiled. "That's great, Riles."

"Yeah, I'm hopeful anyway." She looked down at her hands. "I haven't even told Maya about this, but one of the owners of the studio I danced at asked me if I would consider doing some choreography while I was still healing. She also told me I could have free reign over the studio whenever I got to the point where I could work my movements without my physical therapist there."

"That sounds great, Riley. Are you going to do it?"

"I talked to mom, dad, and my therapist about it. They all think it's a great idea as long as it's something I want to do."

"Is it?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah. I love coming up with choreography. And I do love dance. I just…don't love the competitiveness. I want to do it for fun." She looked over at Lucas. He seemed completely engrossed in what she was talking about. It was one thing that drew her to him. He wasn't perfect. She still wanted to talk to him about his past, but she wanted to wait until he was ready for that. "Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go to dinner and a movie with me tomorrow?"

Lucas smiled at her. "It's a date."

Riley grinned. Everything was going to work out. Everything was going to be ok. Sure, they would have their ups and downs, he would be going away to college next year, and she was still trying to work on herself, but at that moment, she wasn't going to worry about any of it. She was going to enjoy being young and in love.

Lucas got up to grab her discarded crutches. He came back and handed them to her. As he helped her stand, he couldn't keep the smile off of his face. It was ok—better than ok. Things were as they should be. He glanced at the book on the coffee table. He couldn't help it as he thought of the last line in the book: 'I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her.'

"You ok," Riley asked when she noticed the faraway look on his face.

He looked back at her. "I am now."


	19. Note

_**A/N: I just wanted to let you all know that I am writing a sequel to this story. The prologue has been posted under the story "Grand Pas de Deux". I hope you all decide to follow me as I continue this AU world of Rucas and Joshaya.**_


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